Body found in river after man fleeing traffic stop runs into water, Georgia cops say
The body of a man who ran into a Georgia river during a traffic stop Monday has been recovered, officials say.
Georgia State Patrol says a trooper pulled a driver over for speeding just before 8 a.m. The trooper “detected the odor of marijuana” coming from the car and requested assistance from the Rabun County Sheriff’s Office.
The trooper then asked the driver to get out of the car, at which point the passenger jumped into the driver’s seat and took off, Georgia State Patrol says.
“The trooper pursued the suspect south on GA 15,” State Patrol says. “While fleeing, the driver threw multiple packages from the vehicle.”
The car eventually came to an “uncontrolled stop” after crashing into an embankment and a patrol car, and the man ran from the scene on foot, authorities said.
While fleeing, the man ran into a nearby river in Tallulah Falls and disappeared, the Rabun County Sheriff’s Office says.
“Due to the location of the foot chase, it was feared that the individual may have drowned in their attempt to cross the river,” the sheriff’s office says.
Officials tried to find the man in the river but were “unsuccessful,” according to the sheriff’s office, and the Rabun County Search and Rescue team was called in to help with the search.
Crews searched the river multiple times and eventually found a body “submerged in the river,” the sheriff’s office says.
The body was identified as Lazavier Shamar Cook from Athens, Georgia, the GSP says.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone involved,” the sheriff’s office wrote on Facebook.
Tallulah Falls is located in northern Georgia, about 96 miles from Atlanta.
This story was originally published June 8, 2021 at 12:16 PM with the headline "Body found in river after man fleeing traffic stop runs into water, Georgia cops say."
