October 3, 2024

(Tybee Island, GA) - After a brief foot chase and Taser deployment, Tybee police officers arrested a knife-carrying man suspected of committing a Burglary on the island yesterday afternoon.

At 3:20PM on Wednesday, October 2, 2024, officers of the Tybee Island Police Department responded to the area of Pine Street, after employees of a vacation rental company found a man inside of what should have been a vacant residence. The suspect then walked away from the scene prior to the arrival of police. While subsequently checking the area, one officer found a man walking nearby who matched the description provided by witnesses. As the officer approached and attempted to speak with the man, he began to walk away. During that time, the officer noticed that the man was carrying a red bandana, which seemed to be wrapped around an unknown object. The officer then unholstered his Taser, and gave several commands for the man to stop walking. When he refused, the officer fired the Taser, but the cartridge was ineffective. The man then began to run away, with the officer in pursuit.

After closing the distance between them, the officer was able to shove the man to the ground. The man then rolled over to face the officer, with the bandana-wrapped object still in his hand. As a result, the officer unholstered his firearm and ordered the man to lie face down, to which he eventually complied. After placing the man under arrest, officers discovered that the object inside of the bandana was a steak knife, believed to have been stolen from the residence on Pine. During the course of the follow-up investigation, officers would also learn that the man had an active warrant for violation of Sex Offender Registry conditions in Ohio.

The suspect was then transported to the Chatham County Detention Center, where he was booked into custody on the charges of Loitering and Prowling, Criminal Trespass, Obstruction, and Burglary.

This case remains under investigation.