Stolen Gun, Drugs Recovered After Fight At McDonald's

CANTON, GA — Two people were arrested and charged following a fight involving a firearm last week outside a fast food restaurant in Canton. Officers with the Canton Police Department were dispatched around 4:57 p.m. June 6 to McDonald's at 3240 Ridge Road.

Those officers, as well as deputies from the Cherokee Sheriff's Office, arrived and began to piece together what happened before the 9-1-1 call. Officers encountered a young woman, who fled the scene earlier and "locked herself in the restroom of a gas station across the street from the incident location," the Canton Police Department said. After speaking with the woman, officers found a stolen gun and marijuana they suspected was packaged for distribution.

Officers initially made contact with a man who was involved in the altercation. While they identified him, they did not have enough information at the time to detain him at the scene of the fight. However, Canton police said the woman, who was in possession of the stolen firearm and narcotics, told officers her the man allegedly gave her the items and "asked her to get rid of them before she fled the area," the agency said.

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At that moment, a car pulled up to the scene and officers made contact with the person who was a passenger, later identified as 21-year-old Tyrell Maleek Corley of Canton. He was detained and transported to the Canton Police Department for questioning by detectives. The woman, identified as Savannah Leann Howell, 17, also of Canton, was also taken into custody to be interviewed by investigators.

Following those interviews police arrested Corley and Howell in connection to the events. Howell was charged with reckless conduct and tampering with evidence. For his part, Canton police charged Corley with possession with intent to distribute synthetic narcotics, possession with intent to distribute marijuana, theft by receiving stolen property, tampering with evidence, possession of a firearm by a convicted felony, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony and crossing the guard line with narcotics.

The crossing the guard line charge stems from Corley allegedly hiding several narcotics pills and carried them across the guard line at the Cherokee County Adult Detention Center, police note.

“We are very happy no one was hurt during the initial altercation," said Canton Police Chief Mark Mitchell. "I commend our hardworking officers and detectives for their efforts to bring this case to a safe and successful resolution. I also want to thank the Cherokee Sheriff’s Office for their quick response and assistance, which was vital to the initial investigation of this incident."

Photo: from left, Savannah Howell and Tyrell Corley. Credit: Cherokee Sheriff's Office