A Gainesville man remains in the Hall County Jail following his arrest last week on more than a dozen charges incurred during a traffic stop and pursuit in northwestern Hall County.
The sheriff’s office released details about the incidents Tuesday.
HCSO NARRATIVE:
“On Thursday…at around 7:15 p.m., a Hall County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) patrol deputy initiated a traffic stop on a minivan after observing the driver fail multiple times to maintain his lane of travel on Thompson Bridge Road near Twin Oaks Lane. The deputy also confirmed with a dispatcher the tag on the vehicle was expired and there was no valid insurance on file. The driver, later identified as Robert Joseph Garrison, 45, stopped on Elrod Road, just off Thompson Bridge Road.
The deputy approached Mr. Garrison and observed signs of impairment. Mr. Garrison refused to give the deputy his driver’s license. He also refused requests to step out of the vehicle. The deputy requested assistance from other units. When Mr. Garrison attempted to place the vehicle in gear and drive away from the scene, one of the deputies deployed his Taser, striking Mr. Garrison in the shoulder. The Taser had no effect on Mr. Garrison and he fled the scene in his vehicle.
The deputy who made the initial contact with Mr. Garrison pursued his vehicle down Elrod Road, Price Road and Sardis Road before Mr. Garrison turned east on Dawsonville Highway, eventually stopping at a residence on Walnut Street. During the pursuit, Mr. Garrison ran two stops signs and drove on the wrong side of the road to pass vehicles. At times, his vehicle speed reached 75 mph in a 45 mph speed zone.
When Mr. Garrison exited his vehicle at the residence on Walnut Street, he continued to resist arrest, pushing away from the deputy and fighting against attempts to handcuff him. Backup deputies arrived to assist with the arrest. EMS responded to assess Mr. Garrison. He was taken to the hospital for evaluation before he was booked at the Hall County Jail.
Mr. Garrison is being held on the following charges (all charges are misdemeanors unless otherwise noted):
· Fleeing/attempting to elude – felony
· Possession of a firearm/knife during the commission of a crime – 3 felony counts (deputies located three makeshift knives behind the driver’s seat of Mr. Garrison’s vehicle)
· Driving on the wrong side of the road
· Failure to maintain lane
· Reckless driving
· Stop sign violation – 2 counts
· Speeding
· DUI-drugs less safe
· Operating a vehicle with an expired tag
· No proof of minimum insurance
· Obstruction/resisting arrest – 2 counts
Mr. Garrison’s bond is $25,480.”