DUI Stop By MCCD In Cohutta Leads Explosive Materials and Device Found
On June 8th, 2017 at 3:45pm the Georgia Department of Public Safety - Motor Carrier Compliance Division (MCCD) had an officer on patrol on Georgia State Route 71 near Nob North Drive inside the city limits of Varnell, Georgia. MCCD is a specality state certified division under the Georgia Department of Public Safety with the same powers and authority vested to them as any other law enforcement agency/officer in the State of Georgia including making traffic stops on all types of vehicles. The MCCD officer who is a trained expert by his agency and the state for impaired driving observed an older model Jeep Cherokee failing to maintain their lane of travel numerous times and showing the indicators of possible impaired driving. The MCCD officer stopped the vehicle based on the offense of failing to maintain lane. The MCCD officer when he greeted the driver found there was a passenger in the vehicle as well. The MCCD officer called for assitance from the Varnell Police Department for officer safety due to two occupants in the vehicle and needing to conduct standardized field sobriety tests. Officers from the Varnell Police Department and Cohutta Police Department responded to assist MCCD. Subsequent to the impaired driving investigation after consent to search was given by the driver, MCCD discovered in the vehicle a firearm and materials that were identified as being some type of an explosive device along with a felony amount of narcotics. The narcotics and firearm were seized as evidence by MCCD, and we called the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) Bomb Squad for assitance. The driver was claiming that there was homemade explosive devices inside the vehicle, and other explosive materials of an unknown quantity. I, Chief Grant, asked for assistance from the GBI Bomb Squad, Whitfield County Fire Department, Whitfield County Sheriff's Office, Georgia State Patrol, Whitfield County Emergency Management/E-911, Cohutta Police Department, Cohutta Probation Officers, and Whitfield County EMS. As per the GBI Bomb Squad request we establised a safety perimeter of 1000 feet and evacuated nearby residents and the Nob North Golf Course inside the safety zone. This included shutting down both soutbound lanes of travel on Georgia State Route 71 and re-directing traffic into other areas. Nob North Drive was partially shut down as well. The GBI bomb squad responded to the scene and identified the explosive materials/device in the vehicle that would need to be rendered safe. At approximately 9:30pm the GBI was able to render the vehicle safe and relocated it to the Whitfield County Sheriff's Office firing range for a more thorough search and investigation. Residents at this time were also able to return home. Both suspects in the vehicle are in custody with numerous charges pending from both MCCD and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. The GBI has sent all explosive materials discovered for analysis at their crime lab as of this morning. We want to thank all agencies involved for assisting MCCD and the Varnell Police Department during this time, and we further appreciate the patience and understanding of all citizens during this dangerous event. We know this event took time away from your home and family or planned events, but it was all for the safety and security of the community as a whole. Any further questions regarding the explosive materials and/or pending charges should be directed to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation or the Georgia Department of Public Safety.
Respectfully, Chief Lyle Grant Varnell Police Department
