The deputy then began pursuing the vehicle. The vehicle accelerated speeds more than 90 miles per hour on the Hwy 17 bypass before turning left onto Mize Road. The vehicle traveled about one mile before turning left into a private driveway at the intersection of Highway 106 and Old Mize Road. The driver then jumped out and fled on foot into the wooded area behind the residence.

The deputy continued to chase the suspect on foot through the woods. The suspect dropped a backpack which was found to have more than 8 ounces of suspected methamphetamine, bags of prepackaged marijuana, and digital weighing scales, before falling on the ground.

The deputy then drew his duty weapon to give commands to the suspect. The suspect got up and immediately lunged forward at the deputy, grabbing the deputy’s duty weapon. A treacherous struggle ensued over the weapon. During the altercation, a shot was fired, but did not strike the suspect.

The suspect then continued running down an embankment when he fired a handgun up at the deputy. The deputy then lost sight of the subject in the thick wooded area.

Law Enforcement from Stephens County, as well as other jurisdictions then arrived on scene and began setting up a perimeter and coordinating with Georgia State Patrol Aviation and K9 Teams from Stephens County, Georgia State Patrol, Hart County Sheriff’s Office, and Department of Corrections.

At approximately 5:30 PM, Stephens County Dispatch notified the Sheriff’s Office of a male subject at a residence at the end of Pine Villa Drive, called in by a private citizen, who matched the description given out by law enforcement. According to the caller, the male subject asked the resident for a ride and appeared to have been swimming and running through the woods. Deputies then arrived on scene and took the subject into custody.

The male subject was identified as Brandon Richard Nash, 30, of Cleveland, Ga. Nash was taken to the Stephens County Jail and remains in jail on the following charges: Trafficking in Methamphetamine, Aggravated Assault on Law Enforcement, Attempted Removal of a Weapon from a Law Enforcement Officer, and Obstructing or Hindering Law Enforcement. Additional charges are likely to follow. Nash is currently on federal parole.

The female passenger, identified as Melissa Grizzle, was also arrested following an investigation for Trafficking in Methamphetamine.