Crime & Safety

North Precinct Officers Commended for Investigative Diligence

Actions led to a felony drug arrest and the closure of a case with uncooperative witnesses.

Two officers assigned to the Gwinnett County Police Department’s North Precinct in Buford recently received letters of commendation for their persistence and diligence in investigating two separate incidents.

On April 3, Ofc. M.T. Towler was dispatched to a shoplifting in progress call at the Buford Drive Walmart. Before Ofc. Towler’s arrival, the suspects paid for the merchandise but a store representative asked that both suspects be given a criminal trespass warning.

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Upon checking the identification of both suspects, Ofc. Towler learned there was an active warrant for one of the suspects. That suspect was also on probation for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Ofc. Towler noticed the suspect had a razor blade attached to the bill of his hat. When asked to remove the hat, the suspect complied and as he handed the hat to Ofc. Towler, a small marijuana cigarette fell to the ground.

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After taking the suspect into custody, Ofc. Towler searched the man and discovered a baggie of a crystal-like substance that later field-tested positive for methamphetamine.

“Fearing additional charges, the suspect broke away from you and began running. You were able to capture the suspect after a short foot pursuit. During subsequent interrogation, the suspect admitted to additional baggies of methamphetamine in his vehicle. The additional methamphetamine was also seized,” Lt. D.J. Merchant wrote in a letter commending Ofc. Towler’s actions.

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“Your diligence in investigation a relatively minor incident resulted in a felony arrest and the confiscation of illegal narcotics,” Merchant added.

Ofc. J.B. Yarbrough was also recently commended for actions that led to the successful closure of an assault case.

On March 22, Ofc. Yarbrough was dispatched to a Wheeler Road residence in response to a report of a person struck by a car. The witnesses were “less than cooperative” according to the letter of commendation and provided Ofc. Yarbrough with few details.

Ofc. Yarbrough went to Gwinnett Medical Center to interview the victim and the individuals who had transported the victim to the hospital. One of the individuals had numerous abrasions that reportedly resulted from being dragged by the suspect’s vehicle. The individual, however, refused to provide further details.

The victim, who had suffered a compound fracture to her leg, was also uncooperative but contacted police the following day to provide additional information. The victim gave Ofc. Yarbrough the name of the suspect’s girlfriend. By researching GCPD call history reports, Ofc. Yarbrough learned the girlfriend had been involved in a traffic accident with an individual named “Evan.”

“You recalled that witness you spoke with the night of the incident mentioned the name Evan,” Lt. D.J. Merchant wrote in Ofc. Yarbrough’s letter of commendation.

“You conducted a ‘knock and talk’ at Evan’s listed address. You were able to interview Evan, who confessed to leaving the scene of the accident.”

Ofc. Yarbrough’s diligence over a three-day period of time led to an arrest.

“Oftentimes we are faced with uncooperative suspects. On rare occasions, we find ourselves in a situation where the victim refuses to provide any information. It is very easy to simply complete a report for the detectives and forget about the incident, especially when the victim does not want to cooperate,” Merchant added. “In this case, however, you made the right decision to move forward with the investigation as you gathered information.”

GCPD’s North Precinct is located at 2735 Mall of Georgia Boulevard in Buford, Ga. and serves the cities of Buford, Sugar Hill, and Rest Haven, as well as the unincorporated Suwanee and Lawrenceville areas (see precinct map). Maj. J.T. Strickland is the precinct commander.

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