Effingham Co. Sheriff Comments on Fatal Chase

Effingham County Sheriff Jimmy McDuffie says his officers took appropriate actions Wednesday night during a chase that resulted in the death of a suspect.

McDuffie says 24-year old Edward Lee Watson, Jr. ran three stop signs and almost hit three of his deputies during the five mile chase that began on Horsepen Road and ended when Watson missed a curve on Blue Jay Road and crashed near Rincon.

He says Watson's estranged girlfriend called authorities about 6:30 Wednesday evening, after he broke into her her home through a window. According to McDuffie, Watson threatened to kill himself and grabbed a knife as he entered the woman's home.  She fled out the front door and Watson later left.  (McDuffie says just the night before, Watson also show up at the woman's home and deputies who were called to the scene warned him to stay away, saying he would be officially cited for criminal trespassing if he did not.)

On Wednesday night, McDuffie says Watson fled the woman's home in a Ford Explorer and was initially spotted by a deputy driving an unmarked vehicle.  He says that officer tried to stop Watson, who had pulled into a driveway, but that Watson sped away. McDuffie says that deputy did not commence a chase but radioed ahead to another officer.

Within minutes, McDuffie says Watson's vehicle was spotted on Midland Road where he ran through the stop sign and almost hit the car of another deputy. The sheriff says at that point they began a pursuit.  "The deputies were trying to stop him, he's just tried to strike a police officer and blew through a stop sign," McDuffie told reporters.

As the pursuit continued, McDuffie says Watson swerved and tried to cause another deputy to crash.  "At some points, he was traveling over 100 miles per hour, he was passing cars on the wrong side," McDuffie says.

McDuffie says his officers felt the public was in danger.  He says they attempted to put up "stop sticks" to damage Watson's tires, but determined they didn't have time. "We were trying to get up stop sticks but then it became obvious that our first concern was the public, because he was driving in totoal disregard for public safety,"  McDuffie says.

One deputy went to an intersection to stop traffic in an effort to keep any motorists from being hit.  That was at the intersection of Midland Road and Blue Jay.  "Watson blew through that intersection, too, "McDuffie says, "And he almost hit the deputy who was in the middle of the intersection."   McDuffie also says they tried the "pit" maneuver (used to safely stop a suspect and push them off the road), but that's when Watson tried to ram the deputy's car. 

McDuffie says Watson continued driving on Blue Jay and passed on the wrong side (and on a curve. ) "That's when he finally ran off the road," he says. 

Watson was pronounced dead about an hour later at Memorial Health in Savannah.

Thursday morning, McDuffie indicated faith in his officers and their judgement during the incident.  "I think everything my deputies did was appropriatel," he told reporters.  "Their first concern is public safety.  This is a man who had violent tendencies."

McDuffie indicated that Watson had been arrested prior to moving to Effingham County and that he apparently followed his estranged girlfriend to the area.

McDuffie says his  department does have a chase policy which he feels his officers followed.  He says the Georgia Highway Patrol is investigating the accident.