Deputies charged an Athens man with escape and obstruction for leading a deputy on a foot chase that seriously injured him.
A vehicle hit Banks County Sheriff’s Sgt. Joshua Robertson while he was trying to arrest 28-year-old Xavire Travez Johnson.
It began the night of May 4 when Robertson pulled over a vehicle Johnson was driving on Steve Reynolds Industrial Parkway in Commerce. That stop led to a narcotics investigation. Deputies arrested Johnson and his passenger, 58-year-old Dennis Thurmond of Athens.
“During the arrest, prior to transport, Johnson escaped from deputies and began to flee from the scene,” the Banks County Sheriff’s Office says.
Deputies quickly pursued Johnson across Highway 441 and made contact with him in the median and northbound lane.
“Johnson continued to refuse to stop and comply with deputies’ commands,” BCSO says in a media release. The deputies deployed a taser but the sheriff’s office says it was ineffective because it didn’t connect properly. Johnson got into a physical altercation with deputies. The fight carried them into the northbound lane of the highway. That’s where a passing vehicle struck and injured Sgt. Robertson.
BCSO: Inmate injured two other deputies
Deputies apprehended Johnson and transported him and Thurmond to the Banks County jail. They later moved Johnson to the Jackson County jail for housing. While there, officials say Johnson got into fights with deputies on two separate occasions. He allegedly bit and injured one deputy and caused another to receive medical treatment.
Gwinnett County is now housing Johnson. In addition to escape and felony obstruction, he’s charged with reckless conduct, trafficking heroin and window tint violation. Johnson faces additional charges in Jackson County.
Deputies charged Thurmond with trafficking heroin and giving a false name and date of birth.
Sgt. Robertson suffered multiple broken bones, a collapsed lung, and lacerations to his head and arms. Banks County EMS took him to Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center where he remains hospitalized.
Sheriff: Deputy faces “long road of recovery” after being hit by vehicle
It appears no charges will be filed against the driver who hit him. The Banks County Sheriff’s Office calls the accident “unavoidable.” The Georgia State Patrol Specialized Collision Reconstruction Team is handling the investigation into the accident.
