Toccoa Man Arrested After Domestic Dispute, High-Speed Chase Across Stephens County

TOCCOA, Ga. – A 37-year-old Toccoa man was arrested Saturday evening after deputies say he fled from a domestic disturbance, led law enforcement on a high-speed pursuit through Stephens County and was later tracked down by a K-9 team in neighboring Habersham County.

Deputies with the Stephens County Sheriff’s Office responded at approximately 4:55 p.m. on July 25 to a report of an active domestic dispute at a residence on North Currahee Lane.

According to the Sheriff’s Office, 911 dispatchers advised deputies that the alleged aggressor, later identified as Jeffrey Scott Perry, was attempting to leave the scene.

When deputies arrived two minutes later, they saw Perry driving away in a silver Chrysler Sebring. Deputies activated their emergency lights and sirens and attempted to stop the vehicle, but Perry allegedly refused to pull over.

Investigators said Perry led deputies onto Carnes Creek Road before continuing onto Mize Road toward Black Mountain Road near the Stephens-Habersham county line.

During the pursuit, deputies said Perry ran multiple stop signs and traffic signals, repeatedly failed to maintain his lane and nearly caused several crashes while traveling at high speeds.

Concerned about the danger to the public, deputies ended the pursuit at approximately 5:03 p.m. before Perry crossed into Habersham County.

After returning to the original scene, deputies interviewed two individuals who told investigators Perry had been inside the residence without permission and became physically aggressive after being asked to leave.

At approximately 6:50 p.m., the Habersham County Sheriff’s Office located Perry’s vehicle after receiving a be-on-the-lookout alert from Stephens County.

According to witnesses, Perry drove into the backyard of a residence in Clarkesville and told residents he had run out of gas after fleeing law enforcement in Toccoa. He then fled on foot into nearby woods.

At approximately 7:15 p.m., Habersham County deputies, assisted by a K-9 team, located and arrested Perry. Stephens County deputies responded and took him into custody without further incident before transporting him to the Stephens County Detention Center.

Investigators also identified Perry as a person of interest in a suspicious person call reported earlier that morning on Richardson Street in Toccoa. Witnesses in that incident reported seeing a man matching Perry’s description before he left in a silver Chrysler Sebring, which investigators later determined was the same vehicle involved in Saturday’s pursuit.

Authorities said no charges have been filed in connection with the earlier suspicious person investigation.

Perry remains in the Stephens County Detention Center on a $14,000 bond. He is charged with fleeing or attempting to elude a law enforcement officer, two counts of simple battery, three counts of failure to maintain lane, reckless driving, failure to obey a stop sign, failure to obey a yield sign, and two counts of failure to obey a traffic signal.

Stephens County Sheriff Rusty Fulbright thanked the Habersham County Sheriff’s Office for its assistance, crediting the agency’s quick response and K-9 team with helping bring the incident to a safe conclusion.