editorial3

@thomastontimes.com



Jan. 26, 2009 - Smart Web, Manager of the Upson County Animal Shelter, was busy chasing more than stray dogs on Friday afternoon.

Around 4:45 p.m., Thomaston Policeman Phillip Tobin had just finished covering not one, but two, wrecks and was parked at Burger King, the site of the second, completing required paperwork.

“I had just heard a call about a stolen car and I looked up and there it was traveling south into town right infront of me. He saw me and punched the gas. I took off after him,” told Officer Tobin.

Nineteen year old David Michael Hamilton of Savannah was making his way down North Church Street alledgedly from Flash Foods Convenience Store on Highway 19 at Jeff Davis Road.

Hamilton had alledgedly just stolen Whitney Campbell’s car after being released that same day from the Upson County jail where he was being held for a previous incident.

Campbell is a local employee of Flash Foods and had stopped in the store for a moment after working earlier that day.

“When I saw him look at me and punch his gas, I turned on my lights and began pursuit,” explained Tolbin. “The suspect turned left on the sidestreet just past Piggly Wiggly. Before I got up on him he had already turned a 10-5 (a crash).”

According to reports and eyewitnesses, Hamilton then ran the stop sign and turned right, headed south against the north-flowing traffic on N. Center Street.

That is when Hamilton introduced his car to the front-end of Sheery Maddox’s mini-van.

“I had just left the mailbox and was beginning to pickup speed. Thankfully, I was only going about 20 miles per hour,” a shaken but physically okay Maddox explained.

“God was looking out for me. We had just started moving in the traffic. I saw him come around the corner and I slammed on my brakes. Thankfully, I swirved to the right and he [Hamilton] swirved to the left, as you can see,” Maddox said as she pointed to the wrecked stolen vehicle on the sidewalk, now on the sidewalk.

Maddox, who owns the Rusty Rooster Cafe on Yatesville Highway, stated she was alright and very grateful for it.

Enter Smart Web. “I was standing over at the auto shop,” Web began to explain as he gestured toward Economy Muffler, the automobile shop located behind Commerical Finance and beside Ponderosa Steak House on N. Center Street.

“I this guy jump out of the car after he hit that car,” Web stated. “He [Hamilton] came running towards us yeling, ‘Help me’. Then I saw the Police in pursuit. I pulled up my overshirt to show the guy I was police because I had on my police shirt underneath my Animal Shelter shirt. As he came runnign towards me, I yelled back at him, “Hault, Police!’ He kept running towards us yelling, “Help me, help me!’

Wed then explained that Hamilton as having a hard time running because his

pants were falling off and he was trying to pull them up as he ran fromthe site of the wreck.

Standing with Web was Economy Muffler owner, Leon Canidate, who said, “Officer Web looked at us and said, ‘Stand back! I’m fixin’ to help this guy, alright!’ Then Smart ran out and grabbed the guy running by and slammed him to the ground!”

Canidate added with a grin, “Yep. That’s what Officer Web did alright, he helped him out!”

At that point, Officer Tolbin got to the scene and Web handed the suspect over to Tolbin who took the suspect (Hamilton) under arrrest.

Hamilton was then taken back to the County jail where, as of 5:30 p.m., he was awaiting charges to be filed.