In the past couple of days Columbus Police Department has nabbed two Tuscaloosa men in a stolen car and a man wanted in Georgia, according to Public Information Officer Bryan Moore.
Shortly after midnight on Tuesday officers attempted to pull over a Kia Rio near the intersection of Main Street and 9th Street, Moore said, because the car had no tag.
The driver fled rather than stop, and led officers on a brief chase before hitting a pole at the intersection of 11th Street South and Third Avenue, Moore said. The driver, identified as Demare Keishode Cooper, 23, and the passenger, identified as Labarron Dontrell Brown, 26, both of Tuscaloosa, bailed out and tried to run away on foot.
CPD officers caught both men after a short foot chase, Moore said.
The car was later discovered to be stolen from Jefferson County, Alabama, Moore said.
Cooper was charged with felony eluding, and Brown had an active burglary warrant out of Tuscaloosa. Both men are facing further charges in Alabama, Moore said.
In a separate incident on Monday, officers arrested a man wanted on felony charges out of Booneville and Swainsboro, Georgia, Moore said.
CPD’s VIPER unit was operating in the area of Fifth Avenue North and Seventh Street North when officers spotted Redmond Coney, 47, and arrested him, Moore said.
Coney is wanted by the Prentiss County Sheriff’s Office for possession of a weapon by a convicted felon and shoplifting, Moore said. Authorities in Swainsboro have issued warrants for his arrest for failure to appear and receiving stolen property.
Coney was with Tashina Shields, 41, of Columbus at the time of his arrest. Shields was wanted on a warrant for shoplifting, and also allegedly had methamphetamine at the time of her arrest. She was charged with possession of methamphetamine.
The VIPER — Violent Immediate Police Emergency Response — unit is a small group of officers who specialize in responding to and investigating violent crime, arresting fugitives and performing high-risk drug busts.
Brian Jones is the local government reporter for Columbus and Lowndes County.
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