Georgia Police Pursuit Caught on Tape

COBB COUNTY, Ga. --

Marietta police said they had no choice but to chase a suspected teenage drunk driver through neighborhood streets. Police showed Channel 2 the dashcam video from the chase.

"It started with a citizen who saw him driving erratically and called 911 and reported him," said Mark Bishop with the Marietta Police Department.

When the first Marietta officer arrived, the suspected DUI driver was standing outside his pickup truck. But police said as soon as they showed up, he promptly jumped back in and took off.

The teenage driver ran a couple red lights, traveled down the wrong side of a five-lane road, then took a left at some railroad tracks and went off-road for a bit, according to police. Near Kennestone Hospital he rear-ended a mini-van and seemed ready to stop, police said. But then he drove over the front of a Mariette police cruiser. All of the events were caught on police dashcam tape.

"He's striking other vehicles, he's showing a propensity to do damage, do harm to other people. (He has) complete disregard for anybody else on the road and that elevates the need for pursuit," said Bishop.

The chase came to a violent end on Church Street. The teen driver hit a SUV, which spun out with two people inside. The 17-year-old's pickup then went down a hill and rammed a medical office building. The teen, identified as Brandon Haire, was arrested.

The violent collision left several people, including Haire, banged up. They are all expected to be OK.

Police said they found evidence of drinking inside the teen's pickup.

"There was a bottle of Jack Daniels and some Budweiser beer," said Bishop.

Haire faces a long list of charges.

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