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Interstate chase lands suspect in robbery spree
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04/06/07
Stephanie Miller
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A man who led authorities
on a three-state crime spree was apprehended in
Laurens County early Wednesday morning after he
rammed a deputy’s vehicle and fled from
authorities.
According
to a report of the Laurens County Sheriff’s
Department, Michael Wayne Benjamin, 22, of 1700
North 16th Street, Fort Pierce, Fla. was
arrested and charged with aggravated assault,
felony fleeing, theft by receiving, driving
under the influence and several other traffic
offenses for his actions during the pursuit.
“We’re proud of the way our
officers handled this,” said Sheriff Bill
Harrell, who explained the deputies became
involved in the chase with Benjamin when they
were attempting to answer a 911 call to offer
assistance to a stranded motorist. Laurens
County Deputy Wilkes Fraser went to the
westbound emergency lanes of I-16 shortly after
3:45 a.m. Wednesday after a call came in that a
vehicle was stopped in the emergency lane. When
Fraser pulled behind the vehicle, a man
allegedly got into the vehicle and fled from the
deputy.
A chase began that was joined
by Laurens Sheriff’s Sgt. James Pettis with
several Dublin Police officers waiting for the
fleeing offender at the intersection of I-16 and
state Route 257. At the intersection of state
Route 257, Benjamin left I-16 and traveled south
on state Route 257 a short distance before he
was intercepted by Fraser. Benjamin then
abandoned his vehicle and fled on foot for a
short distance until he was apprehended by
deputies and the officers of the Dublin Police
Department. Benjamin reportedly used his vehicle
to ram Pettis’ cruiser, causing moderate damage.
Also, Fraser’s cruiser reportedly caught on fire
under the hood following the end of the chase,
causing some damage.
“I’m glad no one got hurt and
they got the offender off the street,” said
Harrell. “I want to thank all law enforcement in
the area who helped us.”
Once Benjamin was in custody,
he first identified himself as Craig Benton, but
the sheriff’s investigation into his identity
proved him to be Benjamin, a wanted felon who
had committed crimes in South Carolina and
earlier in the week had reportedly stolen a
vehicle there.
According to a report in the
Coastal Courier written by reporter Patty Leon,
Benjamin had allegedly led authorities in
Liberty County on a chase Monday. And, according
to reporter Bill Whitten of the Jasper County
Sun in Jasper County, S.C., Benjamin allegedly
led authorities on a chase there that ended near
Hardeeville, S.C.
The Coastal Courier report
shows Benjamin allegedly stopped at an El Cheapo
gas station in South Newport near Riceboro and
grabbed a jar of coins and bills from the
station’s counter meant to benefit the Liberty
County High School football team. He then
allegedly stopped at another El Cheapo station
at exit 76 of I-95 and purchased gas and cigars.
When Liberty County deputies attempted to stop
the vehicle Benjamin was driving a chase began,
which allegedly ended after Benjamin slammed his
vehicle into a tree in Hardeeville, S.C.
Hardeeville is in Jasper County, S.C. according
to Whitten, about 15 miles from Savannah across
the Georgia state line on I-95. Benjamin
allegedly then fled on foot and managed to elude
authorities.
Reports indicate the vehicle
Benjamin crashed in South Carolina was stolen in
Florida, but there is no confirmation of that
information. The black Honda
Accord he was allegedly caught
with in Laurens County was stolen, according to
the sheriff’s report and had no tag.
Attempts to reach authorities
in Liberty County were unsuccessful by presstime
late Friday.
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Laurens County now boasts its own SWAT team
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Group recently received official SWAT
certification 02/07/07
By STEPHANIE MILLER
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Laurens County now has its
own SWAT team ready to respond to any crisis at
any time, thanks to the support and effort of
Sheriff Bill Harrell.
Just this
past week the Sheriff’s Response Team (SRT),
which was organized last January, was certified
by the Georgia Tactical Officers Association in
training as a Special Weapons And Tactics (SWAT)
team ready to handle high-risk situations.
Harrell said he appreciates
the dedication and sacrifices members of the SRT
put forth in order to become certified SWAT
members. Becoming certified to handle any
situation is what Harrell wanted for the SRT
from its inception.
“...I just appreciate our
dedicated employees for taking the time to go
through this school...We’re always going to try
to seek to get the most advanced training...,”
said Harrell.
Members of the SRT had to go
through classroom and “in-action” training for
at least 42 hours to meet the requirements of
the SWAT certification. Also, they had to be
able to pass all other requirements of the SWAT
set forth by the Georgia Tactical Officers
Association.
The Sheriff’s Response Team
began with 12 members from both the sheriff’s
department and the Emergency Medical Service.
The members of the EMS were put on the team so
that should a medical emergency arise or a
hostage situation occur where there are
injuries, medical help can be taken to the
patient rather than having to bring the patient
to a safe location for medical service, saving
time that can be precious when it comes to
saving a life.
The SRT began as an effort by
Harrell to have a group that could assist in
high-risk warrant executions or any other
emergency where a specialized team of responders
was needed, after he realized SWAT teams of
state agencies such as the Georgia State Patrol
and Georgia Bureau of Investigation were limited
in how quickly they could respond to an
individual county and state budget restraints
have stretched those agencies so thin that
should a crisis situation occur in more than one
area of the state at a time they might not be
able to respond to both.
Brian Scarborough is leading
the SRT group but Brian Stokes spoke on his
behalf Tuesday.
“We needed advanced SWAT
training to get us trained so we can handle any
situation we need to in Laurens County.”
Stokes said Harrell has
encouraged the SRT members and helped them to
acquire the most training possible with plans to
seek even more training. The group trains
together several times a week while off the
clock and has to train for many different
situations. The team has already assisted
various local law enforcement agencies when
extra manpower was needed to capture risky
suspects and it has assisted with several local
searches involving missing people.
Although the SRT is now
certified as SWAT, Harrell has said from the day
the SRT organized that his intentions for the
team were more for the protection of residents
than anything. Shortly after the team organized,
their ability to help prevent another from harm
was evident when Harrell received a call that a
juvenile had left home with a gun. It was not
clear whether the child intended to harm
himself, or others, but the SRT group was called
out and the child was taken into custody without
incident and turned over to mental health
counselors. Harrell credited the SRT group for
that safe ending.
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Sheriff’s office employing use of Stop Sticks to cut
down on high-speed chases |
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08/28/06
By ANDREA CASTILLO
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The Laurens County Sheriff’s Department recently
purchased Stop Sticks in order to help law
enforcement end high-speed chases. The Stop Stick is
stretched across the road so the person being chased
will drive over it as he tries to get away. It
punctures the tire with small holes so it will
deflate slowly, minimizing injury to those inside
the vehicle. Then, the Stop Stick is pulled off the
highway with the cord and reel included on the
device so the pursuing vehicle does not run over it.
“Basically anytime there’s a chase, we’d like to end
it as quickly as we possibly can,” Chief Deputy John
Wilson said. “Chases are dangerous...and Stop Sticks
can be beneficial in stopping the pursuit fast.”
Each marked patrol unit has its own stop stick, and
there are 30 stop sticks in all within the sheriff’s
department. Laurens County officers have been using
them since July, though they received the Stop
Sticks several months beforehand. In order to issue
out the Stop Sticks, all officers had to go through
a one-day training session that instructed them when
to use the Stop Sticks and how to deploy them. Sgt.
Sid Harrison, one of the two Stop Stick instructors
on hand, also instructed officers on pursuit
policies, safety rules and showed videos put
together by the product’s manufacturer. For
instance, officers are instructed to end high-speed
chases within school zones or in high-traffic areas,
or if it compromises public safety. “The main thing
on stop sticks is safety,” Harrison said. “You don’t
want a deputy on the road if the offender may pose a
deadly threat to the officer.” The Stop Sticks have
been an asset to the sheriff’s department through
its role in keeping both officers and others
involved in the chases safer, as well as innocent
bystanders. “What we’re trying to do is save lives,”
said Harrison.” We don’t want a deputy or anyone
else hurt. It’s a great tool and we’re proud the
sheriffs were able to get it. “ Harrison said one
point he emphasized to the officers was knowing when
to stop the chase. “The ticket is using your noggin,
[which is] hard to do sometimes,” Harrison said.
“It’s hard with the adrenaline rush...[but] you’ll
have the better accolades by saying ‘This is not
worth it.’” Although the department has been using
the Stop Sticks for only a month, they’ve already
been used to stop a chase. The officers did not
disclose many details on the specific case in
question, though Harrison said having the Stop
Sticks helped law enforcement catch up with the
person. “Once we realized there was a situation,
everything worked out like a textbook,” he said.
Wilson emphasized the sheriff’s department’s first
commitment is to safeguarding local residents. “The
main mission is to protect the citizens of Laurens
County, because high-speed chases are dangerous to
the deputies and the people,” Wilson said. “We only
pursue it if it’s more risk for the violator to get
away than the pursuit [itself].”
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Ready and Able |
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01/24/06
By STEPHANIE MILLER
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Sheriff's
Response Team… Some response team members are
shown at the Department of Corrections
training center
Should on-duty deputies in
Laurens County have a crisis situation that
leaves them shorthanded or in need of some
serious back-up, there are 12 men ready and
willing at any time to come to their aid. The
Sheriff’s Response Team is a group of dedicated
deputies who are willing to spend a minimum of
20 hours each month, much of it on their own
time and without extra pay, to gain advanced
training in firearms, fitness, defensive
tactics, medical response, search and rescue and
detention security. “It’s something Laurens
County has been needing a long time,” said
Sheriff Bill Harrell, who explained he requested
the team to organize and train so that should a
situation like the recent hostage crisis in
Statesboro happen in Laurens County, precious
time can be saved by having local responders
rather than having to wait for someone to
respond from what could be hours away. Also,
with state budgets so tight and a limited number
of special response teams through agencies such
as the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the
Georgia State Patrol, Harrell said having the
local responders will help avoid stretching
those agencies so thin should a crisis situation
occur at more than one county at a time. Harrell
said deputies often serve warrants to
individuals that are considered “high risk” and
having a response team could help eliminate a
problem before it happens. He said, for example,
if a warrant is going to be served on a suspect
who is considered high risk for fleeing or
fighting, the response team can go in, creating
a much safer environment for everyone concerned.
“They’ll be part of a team,” said Harrell.
“They’ll train together for the safety of our
officers.” He explained that, for instance,
should the response team be called in the group
will have trained so often together that they
will each know what position they are to take
and what area each other can be expected to
cover. “People aren’t nice anymore,” said Major
John Wilson, who also captains the team. Wilson
said team membership was open to every member of
the sheriff’s department and includes two
members from the Emergency Medical Service.
Anyone interested in joining the team had to try
out and pass guidelines for shooting ability and
physical ability. Wilson explained that the team
does several hours of physical exercise each
week as a group and the members are then
expected to do additional exercise on their own.
Also, they are expected to seek at least 16
hours each month of specialized training of some
kind. “It goes back to the sheriff wants a
proactive sheriff’s department instead of a
reactive,” said Wilson. Harrell said it is free
for members of the sheriff’s department to go to
the Georgia Public Safety Training Center in
Forsyth at any time to seek additional training
and the members all do that on their days off.
For many who were interested in joining the team
the time factor was a big consideration that
kept them from joining. Harrell said the team
had to agree to be on call 24 hours a day, seven
days a week, and do the extra training and
exercise. “There’s no additional pay, no
anything,” said Wilson. The team recently
trained with the Georgia Department of
Corrections Jail Extraction Team, to learn to
remove inmates from a jail cell the safest way
possible for all concerned. “We were the first
sheriff’s department that’s ever been through
the Department of Corrections,” said Harrell,
adding there are other sheriff’s departments
that have their own jail extraction teams, but
those departments have sought training through
other sources. Yet when it comes to finding the
experts in jail extraction, the Department of
Corrections is considered just that. “The jail’s
such a big liability — it’s like a small
prison,” said Harrell. Deputy Brian Stokes,
Wilson’s assistant, said the response team sure
makes operating a jail the size of Laurens
County’s much safer. “It’s a lot better than it
was when I worked in the jail,” said Stokes,
adding the jail extraction team used to consist
of a few jailers who’d rush in as best they
could and pull a person out, with that person
fighting or whatever until they could get him or
her to quiet down. “It’s a lot safer for us and
the inmates.” The Laurens County Emergency
Medical Service gave the response team an old
ambulance for them to convert to a response
vehicle for the team to travel. Also, each
member of the team is expected to go through
first responder training so that should an
injury occur there will be someone on scene to
offer medical help until an ambulance arrives.
Wilson said the team is collecting funds to
purchase the specialized equipment that will be
needed to operate properly. Harrell does not
want the expense to be passed to the taxpayers,
but has asked the team to raise the funds
through private donations and fundraisers. Such
equipment as bullet-proof shields and helmets
are just some of the items that will be needed.
Harrell said once the team is trained, should a
sheriff from a surrounding county request their
help the team will respond. Sgt. Sid Harrison is
helping the team prepare physically for the
task. “We doing a lot of different conditioning
drills specific to what we need to be able to
do,” said Harrison. The team has also acquired
permission from Laurens County Superintendent
Jerry Hatcher to train in each of the county
schools during the summer. Harrell said the plan
is to learn the layout of each of the schools
well enough that should anything happen in one
of them that the team can go into the buildings
familiar with the surroundings and not have to
rely on maps. All team members are also expected
to get scuba diving training. Harrell said the
team has already shown its readiness and
willingness to help when needed. Just this past
week there was an incident with a juvenile with
a weapon that left authorities unsure if he
planned to harm himself or not. Within a short
time after his parents reported the incident the
child and weapon were in custody of deputies,
with the entire episode ending safely for
everyone concerned. “I said I needed some help
and every one of the men on the team came,” said
Harrell, of the need to find the young man who
had run into the woods behind his home. The
young man was found and taken to a facility
where he could get some counseling help. After
everything is considered, all the extra work and
training goes back to the main mission of the
sheriff’s department. “We’re out there trying to
save people’s lives...,” said Harrison.
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City council prepares for emergency training
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10/21/05
VONDA LEE MORTON
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The Dublin City Council heard
Thursday night from members of Laurens County’s
emergency response team, as council members prepared
for federally mandated emergency training. The topic
of discussion was the National Incident Management
System (NIMS) established by Homeland Security, a
plan which City Attorney Lance Jones said was to
coordinate efforts in the event of any type of
emergency. “We’re trying to unify command in any
kind of situation so our responders are not working
at cross-purposes.” Jones said that because of
frequent revisions to NIMS, “we really don’t know
100 percent what we’re gonna have to do.” Laurens
County EMA Director Don Bryant told council that
community preparedness was dependent on individual
preparedness. “We’re only as prepared as a community
as you are as individuals.” Bryant added that in the
event of a large-scale emergency situation in
Laurens County, citizens could expect local
emergency responders to deal with the crisis without
any outside assistance for at least three days.
“We’re on our own for a minimum of 72 hours in the
event of a disaster. “ He said that one of the main
actions council could take to prepare for disasters
was to encourage citizens to develop their own
emergency plans and emergency kits. Bryant said that
the purpose of NIMS was to allow for smooth
implementation of emergency response plans at the
local, state and federal levels. “In an event that’s
beyond our resources to handle, the state should be
able to move in smoothly; if the state can’t handle
it, the federal government should be able to do the
same.” He assured council that local law enforcement
and emergency responders were working as a team to
provide the best possible emergency response for the
county. “We have as good a plan to serve our
community as we can have,” he said. “It’s
well-balanced and contains what is necessary for our
community.” Bryant said that the local emergency
response team had identified the hazards that might
be expected in this area and engaged in training
exercises to prepare for these contingencies. “The
number one hazard we identified is transportation
accidents...we have not identified a hazard that
would cause Laurens County to need evacuation.” In
response to questions from council members, Bryant
explained that all states form mutual assistance
pacts and that Georgia was in such a pact with
several other Southern states. “No one community can
meets its needs in the event of an emergency on the
scale of [Hurricane] Katrina.” Bryant informed
council that older copies of Laurens County’s
emergency management plan are on file at the Oconee
Regional Library and every participating agency had
copies, as well, but that the latest plan is on the
internet and password-coded for security reasons. He
said that needed upgrades in the communication
infrastructure had been identified and were awaiting
funding. “We don’t have the funding right
now...we’re supposed to be receiving funding from
the state.” EMS Director Terry Cobb discussed his
agency’s preparedness for disasters. “We have four
ambulances in service 24/7 and the capacity to
double that if needed. “ Cobb added that evacuating
hospitals and nursing homes would be especially
difficult. “It will always be a challenge.” Bill
Laird, training coordinator for EMS and EMA and head
of the Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC),
said that a particular focus for local emergency
response teams was dealing with hazardous materials.
“We have contingency or mitigation planning for
transportation or industrial emergencies involving
hazardous materials, and we do...at least one
training exercise annually to see how well our
agencies work together.” Dublin Fire Chief Robert
Drew said that the emphasis of NIMS was on
“dovetailing” emergency response at the local level.
“It emphasizes teamwork between agencies.” He
reiterated Jones’ earlier statement that NIMS
requirements were still being developed at the
federal level. “The NIMS outlines are still in flux;
they change frequently,” said Drew, “but the focus
is understanding who’s responsible for what and
who’s in charge.” He added that local emergency
response agencies showed a high level of
cooperation. “We work real good together.” Dublin
Police Chief Wayne Cain said that local emergency
preparedness efforts were well-balanced. “We are
well-balanced in our efforts to be prepared for
natural or manmade disasters, and we continue to try
to prepare ourselves better.” Council also approved
a resolution to abandon alleyways in Block 158 of
the city, an area bounded on the east by Calhoun
St., on the west by Elm St., on the north by Woodrow
St., and on the south by Highland St., retaining an
easement for city utilities in that area. In closing
comments by council, City Manager George Roussel
informed citizens that energy experts were
predicting that natural gas prices would be 70
percent higher this winter than last winter. “I wish
I had better news...we apologize to citizens that we
have to pass higher gas prices to them.” Roussel
said that Utilities Manager Michael Clay would be
contacting the media in the near future to provide
more information and discuss “efficiencies of use.”
In other business, Council: •recognized Sgt. Robert
Hazley of the Dublin Police Department as October’s
Employee of the Month; •approved the minutes of the
previous meeting; •approved bills over $3000; •voted
to move their first November meeting from Nov. 3 to
Nov. 10 to allow for certifications of the Nov. 8
elections; •heard a first reading of an ordinance
entitled National Incident Management System; •heard
a first reading of an ordinance to amend the code of
ordinances by defining certain nuisances and
providing for a speedy and effective method for
abatement; •heard a first reading of an ordinance to
amend the code of ordinances clarifying the state
authority under which the hotel/motel tax is
collected and distributed.
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Sheriffs Departments K9s take a Bite out of
drug trafficking in Laurens County
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10/07/05
By STEPHANIE MILLER
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People have proven to
either love or hate, Rob and Sara, the two
newest members of the Laurens County Sheriff’s
Department. But, whatever the reaction of the
public the two K-9s have more than paid for
themselves in the amount of drugs they have
found since joining the force. “They’ve been
very beneficial for us,” said Laurens Sheriff
Bill Harrell of the Belgian Malinois, both of
which are highly trained in narcotic detection
and handler protection as well as their
handlers, Cpl. Lance Padgett and Sgt. Steven
Cox. Both Padgett and Cox have been trained on
the state and national level as handlers.
“Having the dogs is one of the best things for
us as many drugs as we have that pass through
the county now,” said Harrell, adding that the
dogs are trained to walk around a vehicle and
tell the officers by their “passive” actions
where drugs are located in a vehicle. Harrell
said on one of the first stops the K-9s were
used enough drugs were taken off the streets to
more than pay for the training of the dogs and
the handlers. The use of highly trained dogs and
skilled handlers in police work has been proven
throughout the history of professional law
enforcement to be an invaluable tool to an
anti-crime mission. Padgett said just getting
the word out to the public, even the
passing-through public, that Laurens County has
drug dogs has caused those who traffic drugs to
seek other routes around the county because the
record of finding drugs with the use of drugs
dogs is so good. Having a K-9 partner, Sara, has
also helped him do a better job as an officer.
“It makes it easier and saves time finding
illegal drugs,” said Padgett, explaining it only
takes a few minutes to walk a drug dog around a
vehicle when a suspect says it can be searched
to determine if any illegal substance is inside
which lets an officer check the vehicle and get
back on patrol faster than having to do a manual
search that could take much longer. And, Cox
said the dogs have made him and Padgett really
popular with the residents of the county who
love animals. “Children love them, citizens love
them. People who see K-9 on my car stop and want
to talk and see the dog,” said Cox, adding the
dogs are almost like ambassadors for the
sheriff’s department for folks who have nothing
illegal to hide. But, for those who do, having
that K-9 backup makes the two deputies feel
safer. “It’s nice to have some backup in the
back seat of your car,” said Cox. Cox’s dog,
Rob, is the most aggressive of the two, but the
shear size of either of the dogs will make a
strong man make think twice before challenging
one. “It makes drug dealers think twice,” said
Padgett. Harrell said he sent Padgett and Cox
and their K-9s to the Narcotic Detection Course
in May 2005 where both teams were state
certified and they attended a course in June to
become nationally certified. Both teams are now
working 12-hour shifts on patrol. When the K-9
teams are not on patrol they are busy in the
community doing school searches, jail searches
and demonstrations. “We’re very pleased with the
results,” said Harrell.
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