Police say three suspects were arrested Wednesday during the service of a search warrant, including a juvenile and a male who injured two officers and endangered two children in an attempt to drive away.
Michael Antwain Whitaker, 25, was charged with two counts of felony obstruction, two counts of cruelty to children in the first degree, reckless conduct and theft by receiving stolen property. He was taken into custody after he dragged a detective in an attempt to drive away from the scene on Weiner Drive about 9:30 a.m., said Julian Miller, Savannah-Chatham police spokesman.
Also arrested were the subjects of the search warrant being served by metro police: Darien JaRell Cody, 21, and a juvenile, 16.
Cody was charged with burglary, possession of a drug related object and possession of marijuana. The juvenile was charged with burglary and an outstanding Regional Youth Detention Center warrant.
Crime Suppression Unit officers and detectives from the Southside Precinct were serving the warrant at Cody’s residence for the Feb. 6 burglary of a business on the 300 block of East Montgomery Crossroad, Miller said.
Police had detained Cody and the teen when Whitaker was found hiding in a bathroom. Police momentarily released him to comfort two young children in his vehicle when he sped away, dragging a detective from the passenger door while two other officers tried stop him, Miller said. He was taken into custody after an officer used a Taser. Neither of the officers received serious injuries, Miller said.
Whitaker has an extensive record of arrests by metro police, including a February 2011 charge of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and a March 2011 probation violation, Miller said.
Investigations into the burglary and the arrests this morning are continuing.