Suspect Leads Police On High-Speed Chase, Gets Stuck On Fence

ROSWELL, GA -- A 32-year-old Fulton County man is facing a slew of charges related to a high-speed chase that began in Roswell and ended in Buckhead when he tried to flee police, but got stuck on a rod iron fence belonging to a townhome community.

The Georgia State Patrol received a call around 2:20 a.m. Friday for assistance from Roswell police to help in its pursuit of a stolen Toyota Tundra. Roswell police was tracking the vehicle in connection with an attempted entering auto in the River Oak neighborhood. According to that agency, a suspicious person was seen tugging on door handles of vehicles in the subdivision. That subject got back into the Tundra and exited the neighborhood using River Oak Drive as an officer pulled in behind the vehicle.

The truck was initially traveling westbound on Highway 92 when the officer ran the tag of the truck. When the tag information came back as reported stolen, the officer tried to conduct a traffic stop. However, the truck and its driver made a U-turn and fled eastbound on Highway 92 where it was clocked going 100 miles per hour.

Roswell police discontinued its pursuit before state troopers arrived in the area. However, a trooper observed the truck traveling southbound on GA-400 at Interstate 285 in Sandy Springs. Checking the truck's speed on his RADAR showed it was traveling 93 miles per hour in a 65-mile-per-hour zone.

The trooper tried to perform a traffic stop, but the truck refused to pull over and continued southbound "while traveling in a reckless manner," the Georgia State Patrol said.

The truck got off S.R. 400 at the Sidney Marcus Boulevard interchange and entered the intersection while the traffic signal was red. The truck was hit by another vehicle and suffered moderate damage. Undeterred, the suspect continued to flee, driving over the median and into the parking lot of The Dump furniture store, GSP added. He continued towards Adina Drive and circled back around to Sidney Marcus eastbound.

GSP said the suspect traveled on the wrong side of the road towards Lenox Road where he continued westbound. The Tundra, which lost its rear left tire, made a right turn on Ferncliff Lane — and the driver bolted from the vehicle while it was still moving. The truck came to a rest against a rod iron fence and the driver fled on foot to a vehicle gate at an adjacent townhome complex.

While climbing the gate, a trooper deployed his Taser, but the suspect got stuck on top of the gate. Some of the rod iron spikes "penetrated his skin" and troopers had to help him down from the structure.

The suspect, identified as Fairburn resident Kierris Alexander, was armed with a .380 handgun, which troopers removed from him before he was taken into custody. A search of the Toyota unearthed a second handgun, which was reported stolen by Cobb County police, the Georgia State Patrol told Patch.

Roswell police responded to the scene and took possession of the vehicle, weapons and "several items located within the vehicle that are believed to be stolen property from other crimes," GSP added.

Alexander was treated at the scene by EMS personnel.

"He freely admitted that he was under the influence of multiple drugs," the state agency added. A search in the statewide crime database also revealed he was wanted in Bartow County on similar charges. He was transported to North Fulton Hospital where Roswell police took custody of him.

Alexander is charged by the Georgia State Patrol with driving under the influence, failure to obey traffic control devices, driving on the wrong side of roadway, hit and run/leaving the scene of an accident and failure to signal when turning or changing lanes. Roswell police are also in the process of issuing warrants for the charges he faces related to their case.

The driver of the vehicle that hit the Tundra was transported to Grady Memorial Hospital with complaints of injuries, and the residential fence was the only other property damaged during the pursuit.

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