Savannah, GA Suspect Flees in Police Car,
Crashes
11/18/04 - Reported by: Liz Flynn
Imagine some one stealing the car you drive for work. In this case, a marked Savannah-Chatham police car. Hard to believe, but it's true.
It all began on Ogeechee Road at Grapevine, near Laurel Grove Cemetery yesterday afternoon. It ended at the corner of West 32nd and Whitaker Streets. Parole officers spotted Mark Stafford, who was wanted on an outstanding parole violation. Little did they know what was in store when they tried to catch him.
The trouble started when officers followed Stafford. They say he rammed one police car, then jumped out of his own car and headed for a vacant house. Another officer got out of his patrol car to follow him. He started chasing Stafford around the car. Unfortunately for the officer, Stafford was on the driver's side, saw the keys in the car, leaped in, and took off the wrong way on Whitaker Street, turning onto 32nd Street where he rammed a brown Honda.
Snell Matt, who works at the St. Paul Clothing Ministry across the street, heard it all the way from the back of the building. "I heard this crash and I thought something really bad must have happened."
When she finally got a look, she told us, "I couldn't believe it. They'll take anybody's car, there's no thought about what can happen."
After Stafford's second accident and two flat tires to the stolen police car, officers finally nabbed their man. Police say he did more than just cross the line. "I would say he broke through the line," SCMPD spokesman Bucky Burnsed said. "It's not one of his smartest days."
Now, he's facing much more than just a parole violation. "He threatened the lives of more than one police officer today and the lives of innocent victims on the street," said Burnsed. "We take that very serious and the appropriate punishment is awaiting him."
Mark Stafford is facing several charges, including aggravated assault on a police officer, as well as auto theft and felony obstruction of government property for taking the police car, not to mention several traffic violations.
Fortunately, no one was hurt.