Drugs Seized

On March 5, members of the Douglas County Sheriff's Department F.I.N.D. Unit made a traffic stop on Interstate-20, near the Carroll County line. Consent to search the vehicle was given and a back pack containing six pounds of Marijuana was found in the back seat.

Jamal Blakely of Baconton, GA., was arrested without incident, according to the Sheriff's Department website. Bradford Ellis of Tuscaloosa, AL, resisted arrest and tried to flee on foot. A short struggle with officers ensued and Ellis had to be tased before he could be taken into custody. The vehicle was impounded and approximately $700 was seized.

Jailers Assaulted by Inmates

Douglas County inmate Gabrielle Begay will face an additional felony charge for assaulting Officer Adam Davis on Feb. 27. According to the Sheriff's Department website, instead of taking a shower, Begay simply stood at the door and continued to beat on it. When officers returned to check on her, she would not respond to their questions. When Deputy Michelle Austin attempted to escort Begay from the shower area, she pulled away and started struggling with officers. As they attempted to place her back in her cell, Begay spun around and struck Davis in the face with a closed fist.

In a separate incident, inmate Victor Thaxton has received two additional felony charges since being arrested after assaulting two guards on two separate occasions. In both cases guards were getting him ready to be transported to court. According to the Sheriff's Department website, Thaxton would appear cooperative and would wait until the guards got close to strike. On Feb. 24, Sgt. Merrell attempted to place waist chains on Thaxton prior to being transported to court and Merrell was then struck in the side of the face. On Feb. 28, Thaxton struck Officer Jeff Garrison in the face while being moved to court.