Stephens County man arrested after breaking ankle when fleeing from local law enforcement

By Jessica Waters

A Stephens County resident is in custody after falling and breaking his ankle while fleeing from Stephens County deputies.

On Thursday, July 13, deputies with the Sheriff’s Office S.T.I.N.G. Unit, while on concentrated patrol in the Bruce Road area, observed a black KIA with dark window tint.

The K9 Deputy performed a traffic stop on the KIA for the window tint violation, Sheriff Randy Shirley stated in a press release.

The driver of the KIA was identified as Miranda Minter of Demorest.

During the traffic stop, the K9 deputy utilized K9 Dexter to perform a “free air sniff” of the vehicle.

K9 Dexter alerted to the presence of narcotics, but before a search of the vehicle could begin, a passenger of the vehicle, Thomas Hunter, 38, of Toccoa, fled the traffic stop on foot into the nearby woods.

K9 Dexter was redeployed and Hunter was apprehended a distance from the vehicle by K9 Dexter.

While fleeing, Hunter fell off an embankment and broke his ankle. Hunter was transported to Stephens County hospital for treatment of the broken ankle and a dog bite.

After other deputies arrived on scene to assist, the vehicle was searched and glass pipes and a substance suspected to be methamphetamine were recovered from inside the vehicle.

The driver, Minter, was given a citation for window tint violation. The second passenger, William Dooley, 53, of Toccoa, was arrested for possession of drug related objects and was transported to Stephens County Jail. A $1,000 dollar bond was posted.

Hunter has been charged with possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug related objects, and obstruction of law enforcement.