Suspect leads officers on high-speed chase across parish, county
Published 12:08 am Sunday, May 12, 2019
NATCHEZ — A suspect wanted by the Warren County Sheriff’s Office reportedly led four local law enforcement agencies on a high-speed chase through Concordia Parish and Adams County shortly before 8 p.m. Friday.
Officials with the Vidalia Police Department, Adams County Sheriff’s Office and Natchez Police Department assisted the Concordia Parish Sheriff’s Office in the chase which reached approximately 120 miles per hour at one point, according to local law enforcement.
Capt. John Cowan of the Concordia Parish Sheriff’s Office said the pursuit began after a deputy attempted to pull over a BMW on U.S. 84 east of Ridgecrest Friday evening.
Cowan said, the driver of the vehicle — a white female — made a U-turn and then appeared to have been pushed out of the car by a second passenger, believed to be Zachary Allen Brooks, 22. Cowan said Brooks took control of the vehicle and sped off.
Cowan said Brooks is wanted by the Warren County Sheriff’s Office on multiple warrants for his arrest, including receiving a stolen vehicle and receiving stolen property.
Officers followed Brooks as he drove east on U.S. 84 through Vidalia and Natchez before turning onto U.S. 61 North. Officers from the Vidalia Police Department, Natchez Police Department and Adams County Sheriff’s Office joined the pursuit until the chase was called off near the Jefferson County line near State Park Road, Cowan said.
“Once they were north of Adams County, near State Park Road, all agencies terminated the pursuit for the safety of our officers and the public,” Cowan said.
Cowan said the female who had fallen out of the vehicle received treatment at Merit Health Natchez for minor injuries and was released.
Adams County Sheriff Travis Patten said Brooks had been traveling through Natchez and Adams County without using his headlights at approximately 120 miles per hour, adding his deputies proceeded to block off traffic for public safety.
“Our main concern was clearing the traffic lanes so everyone else traveling was out of harm’s way,” Patten said. “We didn’t want this idiot killing anybody while driving dangerously through the city or the county. … We’re looking at all of the violations he did while driving through Natchez and Adams County. Whenever he is captured, and he will be captured, he is going to have to come see us.”