HEPHZIBAH, Ga. – The armed suspect who refused to surrender to multiple officers at the Sonic Drive-In on Friday was a felon wanted for harming a 3-month-old girl, authorities say.
Brandon Lane Chapman, 28, is accused of pushing the baby girl “face down into the cushion of the sofa multiple times” at an Augusta residence where he lives with the child, an arrest warrant says. He also lifted her and threw her face down on the sofa and then “pressed down on her back while holding her face down for a few seconds.”
“Also, (Chapman) thumped the child on the left side of the head multiple times,” the warrant says.
On Friday, the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call about the alleged abuse, sheriff’s Sgt. Caleb Lee said in a press release.
“While investigating the call, Deputies determined the possible suspect, Brandon Chapman, was at Sonic, 2505 Tobacco Rd,” Sgt. Lee said. “Deputies were able to make contact with Chapman who was sitting inside his vehicle. After several failed attempts to get Chapman to exit his vehicle, Chapman accelerated into reverse and fled the scene at a high rate of speed out of the parking lot.
“One of the tires on Chapman’s vehicle blew out causing a loud pop while he was fleeing the scene. Deputies got into a short vehicle pursuit which ended on the 2300 Block of Travis Road.”
Chapman was taken into custody after a foot chase. Deputies seized his backpack and found a Glock 9mm handgun, 2 grams of meth, two Xanax pills and a digital scale.
He was charged with cruelty to children in the first degree, weapon possession, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of meth and Xanax, reckless driving and fleeing to elude. His mugshot shows injuries to his face.
The condition of the girl was not immediately clear.
Chapman was just released from prison last February after serving over two years for entering vehicles and drug possession. It was his fourth stint in prison since he began breaking the law as a youth.
The suspect has served time for entering vehicles, meth possession, marijuana possession, possession of Alprazolam, theft by receiving stolen property, possession of a fireman by a convicted felon and attempted theft by taking.
Some of the offenses took place in Columbia County as well as Richmond County.
