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Kaleb Marshall Brown

Age : 26

Gender : Male

Race : White

Date : 07/26/2021

Location : Intersection of Highway 41 and Shugart Road

City : Tunnel Hill

County : Whitfield

State : Georgia

Agency : Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office; Tunnel Hill Police Department

Officer(s) :Not Disclosed

Cause of Death : Vehicle

Event : Driver killed by police chase crash

OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :

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REASON FOR POLICE CHASE:
Felony warrant and narcotics investigation. The Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Unit was attempting to apprehend Kaleb Marshall Brown after investigators received information alleging that he was distributing methamphetamine, was a convicted felon possessing a handgun and had an active Tennessee felony warrant for aggravated assault. The Narcotics Unit requested assistance from the Tunnel Hill Police Department to stop Brown’s vehicle.
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EVENT NARRATIVE:
On 07/26/2021, 26-year-old Kaleb Marshall Brown of Tunnel Hill was killed when the 2002 Volkswagen Beetle he was driving crashed during a Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office and Tunnel Hill Police Department pursuit near U.S. Highway 41 and Shugart Road. His passenger, 27-year-old Christy Leigh Lawing of Crandall, was also killed.
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At approximately 3:00 p.m., the Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Unit requested assistance from Tunnel Hill police in stopping Brown. Sheriff Scott Chitwood said narcotics investigators had information alleging that Brown was distributing methamphetamine, possessed a handgun despite being a convicted felon and had an outstanding Tennessee aggravated-assault warrant.
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A Tunnel Hill police officer attempted to stop Brown’s Volkswagen. Brown continued driving away, and the Tunnel Hill officer and a Whitfield County sheriff’s deputy pursued him.
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During the pursuit, the Tunnel Hill police officer intentionally struck Brown’s Volkswagen with a PIT maneuver in an attempt to force the vehicle to stop. Brown regained control of the Volkswagen following the PIT and continued driving while police pursued.
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According to the Georgia State Patrol crash account, Brown subsequently traveled south on Georgia Highway 3/U.S. Highway 41 at a high rate of speed. As he approached Shugart Road, Brown attempted to pass multiple vehicles by driving between the right-turn lane and right travel lane.
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The Volkswagen struck four vehicles while attempting to pass them and then crashed into the rear of a tractor-trailer. The impact caused the Volkswagen to rotate counterclockwise and strike the driver-side front quarter panel of one of the vehicles it had previously hit. The Volkswagen came to an uncontrolled stop facing north between the right travel lane and right-turn lane.
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Brown and Lawing were pronounced dead at the scene. The Georgia State Patrol investigated the fatal collision.
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The pursuit therefore involved direct police vehicle intervention before the fatal crash. The Tunnel Hill officer performed a PIT maneuver against Brown’s Volkswagen, but that maneuver did not immediately terminate the pursuit because Brown recovered control and continued driving. The fatal collision occurred later as the Volkswagen approached Highway 41 and Shugart Road.
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OFFICER BACKGROUND:
The Tunnel Hill police officer who attempted the traffic stop, pursued Brown and performed the PIT maneuver has not been publicly identified in the available reporting. The Whitfield County sheriff’s deputy who joined the pursuit also has not been publicly identified. Tunnel Hill Police Chief Trey Ryder confirmed that his department was assisting the Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office operation but declined to provide further details while the incident remained under investigation.

SOURCE LINKS :

https://www.northwestgeorgianews.com/news/two-killed-in-whitfield-county-crash-after-police-chase/article_3e1dbe6a-ef07-11eb-a261-bf80c249d79a.html
https://www.newschannel9.com/news/local/two-dead-after-police-chase-ends-in-crash-in-whitfield-county
https://www.wdef.com/two-dead-in-whitfield-county-after-police-chase-ends-in-crash/
https://www.wdef.com/two-suspects-dead-chase-whitfield-county/
https://www.yahoo.com/news/updated-tunnel-hill-man-crandall-221700407.html