Hot pursuit lands Opp man in jail
Published 12:05 am Friday, April 1, 2011
A high-speed motorcycle pursuit and the following foot chase put an Opp man behind bars Wednesday.
Drug Task Force agent Greg Jackson said he attempted to make a traffic stop on a motorcycle driven by James Scott Burdine, 42, at the intersection of the Florala Highway and Ala. Hwy. 52.
As soon as Jackson turned on the blue lights, Burdine fled and a chase ensued east on Ala. Hwy. 52 to the Opp By-pass.
As the chase continued, Burdine allegedly reached speeds in excess of 100 mph.
Jackson said he was later joined by fellow DTF agent David Harrell and Opp officer Tyler Adams as the motorcycle made its way to U.S. Hwy. 331 south.
Once the chase hit Land Line Road and later Beulah Church Road, Burdine lost control, wrecked and fled uninjured into the woods.
He was apprehended a short time later by Harrell and Adams and was charged with four counts of reckless endangerment, attempting to elude a police officer and resisting arrest. He was booked into the Covington County Jail and held on a $135,000 bond.
“As many chases as I have been involved in over the years, they are always nerve wrecking,” Jackson said. “As the police, we have to be very careful to make logical decisions during pursuits regardless of how bad we want the individual caught.
“You can run from the police, but you can’t out run the radio,” he said.