Update on yesterday’s officer-involved shooting and manhunt

Yesterday afternoon, local law enforcement officials as well as Hart and Franklin County deputies and Georgia State Patrol Troopers spent several hours scouring the woods off of Highway 106 near Old Mize Road, looking for a suspect that Stephen County Sheriff Randy Shirley described in a post on Facebook as “armed and dangerous.”

This morning, Shirley released information regarding the officer-involved shooting incident, identifying the suspect as Brandon Richard Nash, 30, of Cleveland.

Shirley said that, on Dec. 12, at approximately 2:30 p.m. the Stephens County Sheriff’s Office initiated a traffic stop on a black in color Ford Fusion after observing the vehicle violate a traffic law on the Toccoa Bypass near Highway 145. The driver began accelerating away from the deputy and deputy began pursuing the vehicle. 

According to Shirley’s report, the Fusion accelerated to speeds of more than 90 miles per hour on the Highway 17 Bypass before turning left onto Mize Road, then traveled about one mile further before turning left into a private driveway at the intersection of Highway 106 and Old Mize Road. 

Shirley said the suspect then jumped out of the vehicle 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 later found to have more than 8 ounces of suspected methamphetamine, bags of prepackaged marijuana, and digital weighing scales.

Shirley stated that the suspect then fell on the ground, and the deputy then drew his duty weapon and began giving commands to the suspect, who got up and immediately lunged forward at the deputy, grabbing the deputy’s duty weapon. 

According to Shirley, “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.”

Shirley said 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.

He said that, at approximately 5:30 p.m., 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 was asking the resident for a ride, and appeared to have been swimming and running through the woods. 

Deputies then arrived on scene and took Nash into custody. Nash was taken to the Stephens County Jail and remains in jail on charges including 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 in the Fusion, identified as Melissa Grizzle, was also arrested following an investigation for Trafficking in Methamphetamine.

Shirley stated, “The Stephens County Sheriff’s Office would like to extend its appreciation to Georgia State Patrol Posts 7 and 52, Georgia Department of Corrections, Toccoa Police Department, Hart County Sheriff’s Office, Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, Rabun County Sheriff’s Office, Hall County, Cleveland Office and the Appalachian Regional Drug Enforcement Office as well as vigilant members of the community who helped apprehend this subject.”

Shirley said the investigation into the incident is still actively ongoing.