Brian Keith McNabb

CHATSWORTH, Ga. — A man who dragged a deputy with a car while the deputy clung to the side of the vehicle, and a man who flashed a badge and claimed to be a police officer, have been indicted by a Murray County grand jury.

Brian Keith McNabb, 39, of 654 Chevelle Drive in Chatsworth, was indicted for aggravated assault on a peace officer, felony fleeing to elude a police officer, possession of meth, loitering or prowling and possession and use of drug-related objects.

According to a Murray County Sheriff’s Office incident report from May, Deputy Ryan Marshall was sent to 919 N. Holly Creek Drive concerning a “suspicious” vehicle with a man “passed out” in it. The man identified himself as Brian McNabb. He said he was there to pick up his brother but was unsure how long he had been there and said “he has a habit of randomly arriving at places he does not belong.” He said he had used meth before and was on probation for meth possession, but was not under the influence of “any substances” at that time.

The deputy instructed McNabb to turn off the Ford Fusion and keep his hands on the steering wheel. The deputy asked if he had any weapons or anything illegal in the vehicle. McNabb said he had “a bunch of knives in the passenger seat.” McNabb asked for a cigarette and the deputy said no. The deputy asked if he could search the vehicle and McNabb said no. The deputy saw “a bulging item” in McNabb’s left pocket “that resembled the shape of a pipe used for smoking drugs” and believed it might be a weapon. For safety, he wanted McNabb out of the vehicle and asked him to get out. The deputy said he refused.

“Mr. McNabb cranked up the vehicle” and the deputy “attempted to stop him from fleeing,” ordering him to stop and trying to grab the keys.

“Mr. McNabb accelerated forward with me still clinging to the side of the vehicle,” the deputy wrote. “I attempted not to strike a metal beam hitch attached to the trailer, while at the same time trying to maintain my balance to keep from going under the vehicle and being seriously injured. In that moment I was in fear for my life and in fear of receiving great bodily injury from the vehicle …” 

“I let go of the vehicle and obtained my balance,” the deputy wrote. “I called a pursuit and informed dispatch I was drug by the vehicle.”

A chase of McNabb ended in the Ramhurst area, and McNabb was arrested. He “uttered about how he just wanted a cigarette and that’s why he ran.”

A search of the vehicle turned up a pipe with meth residue and “a baggie with a brown powder …” McNabb admitted to using meth “a few days ago,” the report said. He was “remorseful” and “apologetic.”

• Howell Shawn Gibson, 46, of 331 Smyrna Circle-C in Chatsworth, was indicted for impersonating an officer and battery.

A sheriff’s office incident report from February said a man told an officer who was responding to a report of a “physical alteration” that a man had been “prowling around” where he lives for several days and the man had been asked to leave several times. The man told the officer he heard his dogs barking and noticed Gibson near his dogs “swinging a piece of river cane at them.” When the man tried to approach Gibson, he said Gibson “began swinging the cane at him.” The two fought and when they were separated, the man started to call 911 and Gibson said, “Call the law, I’m the (expletive) police!” and “produced a golden-colored badge.”

Gibson was arrested and the badge was seized.

• Gary Lane Mitchell, of Chatsworth, was indicted for an incident in March of 2018 when he reportedly side-swiped a deputy’s patrol car with his car after deputies went to question him about a domestic disturbance. The new patrol car — valued at $18,000 in the sheriff’s office incident report — was totaled.

Mitchell, 61, of 170 Weaver Drive, was indicted for aggravated assault on a peace officer, criminal damage to property in the second degree, interference with government property, driving under the influence and simple assault (family violence). 

Responding deputies found Mitchell on Weaver Drive in a vehicle “sitting crossways in the road squealing its tires with no lights on.” Mitchell began driving toward the two deputies “at a high rate of speed.” One of the deputies got out of Mitchell’s way, but the other “was unable to clear the road.” The report said Mitchell hit the deputy’s car with the Chevy Blazer, causing the passenger door to come loose and removing the outer layer as well as breaking the rear axle. The Blazer then went up a hill and hit a telephone pole about 100 feet away.

Mitchell got out of the car after deputies gave him “loud verbal commands” and it was noted he was bleeding from his wrist and his left ear. 

Neither of the deputies suffered serious injuries. A corporal had “very minor injuries from debris flying through the vehicle” after the Blazer hit it. The vehicle was a 2018 Ford Taurus recently bought by the sheriff’s office and it had fewer than 5,000 miles on it.