Two Florida residents arrested and two Monroe police vehicles damaged in chase downtown

A man and a woman from Florida were arrested and two Monroe police vehicles sustained damage after being involved in a car chase through downtown Monroe on Saturday evening. The two Monroe vehicles were damaged as a result of three separate incidents that began with the chase of a Ford pickup truck with a stolen tag out of Clarke County.

Sgt. First Class James Buchanan with Georgia State Patrol said the pickup was being pursued down Ga. 10 Business (Spring Street) from Highway 138 headed towards downtown.

“It was just passed West Highland when the officer decided to perform a pit maneuver. It was successful, but the driver of the pickup regained control of his vehicle and headed back into town. He turned on Jackson Street, near the rec center, and the female passenger jumped out and began to flee on foot,” Buchanan said, adding she was quickly arrested and it turned out that she had warrants out of Florida for robbery. “The pursuit continued to Broad Street and then south towards Social Circle. When they got near Southside Mobile Home Park, the truck was driving on the wrong side of the road, headed south in the northbound lane, and another pit maneuver was performed.”

Buchanan said during the second pit maneuver, the Monroe police vehicle slipped off the back end of the truck and continued off of the east shoulder, crossing through a ditch and striking a fence and a tree. The police officer did receive minor injuries and was treated at Piedmont Walton. The driver of the pickup, however, did not manage to get away again as another MPD vehicle came up and blocked him in. The suspect, Joseph Green, out of Naples, Fla, was taken into custody. Buchanan said charges against Green were taken by the MPD. His charges had not been given at the time of writing this up, but the story will be updated as soon as they are made available. The female passenger, Jessica Denman, 33, of Sebring, Fla. is currently being held at Walton County Detention Center on the warrants from Florida.

But unfortunately, that was not the end of the story. A short time later, as the police vehicle that had blocked the pickup truck in was headed back into town on Highway 11, a vehicle turned in front of it near Fambrough Street.

“The other vehicle was at fault for failing to yield,” Buchanan said. The police vehicle was removed by a tow truck.