Man Found On Roof Possibly Overdosed On Meth, Fentanyl: Police

CARTERSVILLE, GA -- New details have been released in an unusual case of a man who was found wandering on top of the roof of a business early Christmas Eve in Bartow County.

A deputy with the Bartow sheriff's office were dispatched to a call of a man possibly overdosing on fentanyl in the area of 24 Benefield Circle around 7:36 a.m. Dec. 24. The man in question was reportedly running on foot and was seen at the Citgo station on Grassdale Road.

The deputy approached the man, but he ran away "yelling that I wasn't a 'real Bartow County deputy'," according to an incident report released by the agency. The deputy got back into his patrol car, followed the man — later identified as 29-year-old Gregory Brian Elrod — to McDonald's at the corner of Joe Frank Harris Parkway and tried to approach him again.

"He was obviously hallucinating and was saying he was going to die from an overdose," the report adds. An ambulance pulled and the deputy tried to get the man to venture over for medical attention, but he ran through traffic while crossing Joe Frank Harris Parkway.

He crossed the thoroughfare and climbed on to the roof of VJ's Tobacco Mart, which is located next to the Waffle House EMS officials previously reported where he was found. Bartow County fire units responded and provided a ladder so crews could access Elrod, who came down for help after several minutes of convincing by police.

Elrod was handcuffed and a search of his jeans pocket revealed a sandwich bag containing a white and brown substance that was suspected to be methamphetamine. Elrod was transported to Cartersville Medical Center for treatment.

The suspected meth weighed 29.4 grams, and was sent to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation's Crime Lab for identification. The report notes the substance was labeled as possibly containing fentanyl due to Elrod's comments.

Elrod was booked into the Bartow County Jail on obstruction, trafficking meth (due to the amount) and on outstanding warrants of two counts of simple battery and felony probation violation. He remains held at the facility without bond.

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