Columbus chase leads to woman’s death. It’s third death tied to a chase in the past year
(Reality Check is a Ledger-Enquirer series holding those in power to account and shining a light on their decisions. Have a suggestion for a future story? Email mynews@ledger-enquirer.com.)
A man wanted on multiple felonies crawled over his dying girlfriend to flee sheriff’s deputies who forced his car to wreck during a Columbus chase last week, the sheriff says.
After a pursuing sheriff’s car caused Demon Shaquille Moore to crash, Moore’s car crossed the Veterans Parkway median and hit another vehicle traveling the other way, according to Muscogee County Sheriff Greg Countryman.
The chase led to the death of Daizia Williams, 27, according to Muscogee County Coroner Buddy Bryan.
This is now the third death in the Columbus area within the past year related to a law enforcement chase. This is the first in that time involving the sheriff’s office. The sheriff’s office has a policy that dictates when deputies should pursue suspects in car chases. That policy says the need to immediately apprehend someone must outweigh the danger created by the pursuit.
The sheriff says Moore, 30, now faces these charges for the chase and for her fatal injuries:
Felony murder
First-degree homicide by vehicle
Aggravated assault
Fleeing to elude
Reckless driving
Driving without a license
Moore is to have a hearing Wednesday morning in Muscogee Municipal Court.
What happened?
The sheriff in a Facebook post described Moore as a “wanted fugitive and validated gang member.” He said special operations units on patrol recognized him and tried to stop him at 1:50 p.m. Thursday on Veterans Parkway between 15th Street and 17th Street.
“Since Moore was positively identified, with an extensive violent criminal history, and showing no regard for the public in the immediate area, a Precision Immobilization Technique (PIT) was used to stop the pursuit,” the post read. “Moore lost control of the vehicle and struck the median, rolling onto the far-right lane of the south bound lanes of Veterans Parkway, striking another vehicle.”
Moore “attempted to crawl over his girlfriend, who was trapped in the vehicle, to flee on foot to prevent himself from being apprehended,” the sheriff posted.
He said Moore and two others went to Piedmont Columbus Regional to be treated.
Moore since has been booked into the county jail.
Countryman said officers pursued Moore because he was wanted on these charges:
Felony escape from Phenix City.
Violating probation after Columbus charges of aggravated assault and using a gun to commit a crime.
Violating probation after Columbus charges of first-degree burglary and attempted burglary.
Columbus bench warrants for being a convicted felon with a firearm, obstructing law enforcement, driving without a license, having defective equipment, and having an open container of alcohol in the car.
Muscogee sheriff’s policy on chases
A copy of the Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office vehicle pursuit policy provided to the Ledger-Enquirer in 2023 states:
“It is the policy of the Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office that a motor vehicle pursuit is justified ONLY when the necessity of immediate apprehension outweighs the level of danger created by the pursuit.”
It goes on to say:
“(A) deputy may only engage another vehicle in a pursuit if the deputy has reasonable suspicion to believe that the driver or occupant has committed or is attempting to commit a crime of violence, or there are exigent circumstances that warrant the need to apprehend the suspect in a timely manner because of the potential for harm to the public if the apprehension does not occur. The deputies must be able to articulate the exigent need to apprehend the driver or occupant because of the potential harm or risk to themselves or to the public.”
“The pursuing deputy must constantly consider the risks created by the pursuit. He/she should not needlessly endanger other persons,” the policy states. The policy states that pursuing deputies should take into consideration factors including time of day, volume of vehicular traffic, location of pursuit, nature of charges, condition of pursuit vehicle, and other factors when deciding whether to initiate, continue or terminate pursuit.
Other recent deaths tied to chases
An April 2023 chase involving Georgia State Patrol in Columbus left one woman dead with a witness estimating speeds of more than 100 miles per hour. The chase ended with the suspect’s vehicle striking another vehicle and killing 46-year-old Veronica Shipp who was in the struck vehicle.
Another chase in April 2023 that ended near Upatoi left one dead and three hospitalized in a chase involving state troopers. Troopers attempted to stop the car on State Route 22 (Macon Road) in Talbot County, according to the Georgia State Patrol.
GSP said the driver continued driving west weaving in and out of traffic at high speed. The driver eventually lost control of the vehicle and drove into the median striking several trees before re-entering the eastbound lanes of State Route 22 striking an 18-wheeler, according to a GSP statement.
GSP said the front seat passenger of the suspect’s car was pronounced dead at the scene. Muscogee County Coroner Buddy Bryan identified the victim as Andrew Miles Hardie, 19.
