A Gainesville man is in trouble with the law after leading Habersham County deputies on a 22-mile long chase this morning.
Deputies charged 26-year-old Tony Jeffery Hatcher with multiple counts of aggravated assault and traffic violations.
Hatcher refused to pull over for a traffic stop on Cannon Bridge Road shortly after 9 a.m., says Habersham County Sheriff’s Lt. Matthew Wurtz. He then led deputies on a chase that ran through south Habersham and northern Hall counties. The chase ended at 9:21 a.m. at the intersection of Duncan Bridge and Pea Ridge Road. That’s where deputies performed the Pursuit Intervention Technique (PIT) on the Buick LeSabre Hatcher was driving.
The PIT maneuver caused the deputy’s patrol car and the Lesabre to collide, according to Sgt. Casey Coffee with Georgia State Patrol Post 7 in Toccoa. After the wreck, officials say Hatcher ran from the car. Deputies took him into custody after a short foot chase.
Hatcher was unlicensed and had active warrants out of Hall County, according to Wurtz. Deputies charged him with six counts of aggravated assault, two counts of reckless conduct, fleeing and attempting to elude, driving while unlicensed, reckless driving, failure to maintain lane, and stop sign violations.
Officers released two passengers in the Lesabre at the scene. The wreck caused minor damage to the patrol car.
