A Lula area burglary suspect remained in jail Thursday after sheriff’s deputies used pepper balls to force him from the attic of a convenience store early Wednesday.
HCSO NARRATIVE:
“…deputies with the Hall County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) responded to an alarm at the East Hall Food Mart on Old Cornelia Highway. When deputies arrived on scene, they found the doors and windows of the business were secure, but they observed a male suspect, later identified as Luke Ryan Bailey, 25, (pf Buford) inside the store.
Deputies observed Mr. Bailey climb into the ceiling of the store in an apparent attempt to escape. They then entered the store and ordered Mr. Bailey to come down from the ceiling, which he refused to do. As Mr. Bailey continued to resist arrest attempts, deputies deployed pepper balls into the attic space of the store. Deputies then entered the attic and detained Mr. Bailey.
The suspect was transported first to Northeast Georgia Medical Center to be assessed following his exposure to the pepper gas. He was then taken to the Hall County Jail and booked on charges of burglary in the second degree, criminal damage in the second degree, criminal trespass and obstruction of an officer (four counts).”