Felony Med For Depression 09/10/2011 Massachusetts Man Faces Multiple Charges Following Chase With Pregnant Passenger in His Car
Felony Med For Depression 2011-10-09 Massachusetts Man Faces Multiple Charges Following Chase With Pregnant Passenger in His Car
Summary:

Paragraph two reads: "Houston's cousin who was in court Friday told the judge that Houston is bipolar and takes medication for depression and anxiety. According to Douglasville Police Sgt. Todd Garner, Houston was combative while officers tried to take him into custody and has been in a hard cell since Wednesday night."



http://times-georgian.com/bookmark/15964237-Boston-man-faces-multiple-charges-following-chase-with-pregnant-passenger

Boston man faces multiple charges following chase with pregnant passenger
Times Georgian

Corey Houston, 27, was charged with driving under the influence, obstruction, fleeing and attempting to elude, driving on a suspended license and hit and run.

Houston's cousin who was in court Friday told the judge that Houston is bipolar and takes medication for depression and anxiety. According to Douglasville Police Sgt. Todd Garner, Houston was combative while officers tried to take him into custody and has been in a hard cell since Wednesday night.

"He was at Burger King the other night," Garner told Judge Susan Camp during Friday's bond hearing. "He pulls through and he strikes another vehicle in the parking lot. He gets out and goes inside, finds the people who owns the vehicle and tells him he hit their vehicle. They said, 'Okay that's fine. We'll just call the police and have a report made.' He proceeds to tell them he isn't sticking around and yelling at them and calling them names."

Houston reportedly gets in his car and leaves. When an officer responded, witnesses said he appeared to be under the influence. Another officer ran his tag to find out his address and possibly where he was heading.

"They got behind him at Douglas Boulevard and Bright Star, tried to initiate a traffic stop and he reached speeds of at least 80 miles per hour on Bright Star Road, trying to run away from them," Garner said.

According to the incident report, Houston turned onto Highway 5 with speeds reaching up to 60 miles per hour, passing vehicles and failing to maintain his lane. He continued to Mason Creek Road and stopped near his residence, according to Garner.

"A pregnant female passenger gets out of the car and goes inside while he gets out and confronts the officer," he said.

Houston reportedly yells, "You're going to have to shoot me... go on and pop me one. I'm not going to jail."

"The officer had his firearm drawn," Garner said. "He decides that because he's unarmed he's going to try take him by force so he puts his gun up and tries to just put hands on him. This individual decides to fight with him. After they're fighting, he tells him, 'This is about to get ugly,' so the officers gets his taser and tased him. He was eventually able to get him into custody."

Houston also allegedly informed officers that he was visiting from Boston and that he wasn't going to come back to Douglas County once he bonded out of jail.

"He continued to cause problems when they got him in the vehicle and they read him the implied consent," Garner said. "He told them he wasn't going to take the test and began banging his head against the divider in the vehicle. He was taken to the hard cell. My understanding is he was making threats to the deputies down at the jail when they were taking him to the hard cell and he's been in the hard cell... since then based on his actions."

He pointed to Houston's criminal history that includes a previous DUI, an assault with an attempt to murder, possession with an attempt to distribute drugs and an assault with a knife to intimidate witnesses.

"We feel that he is definitely a flight risk because he already made the comment he'll go back to Boston and he's obviously at risk to commit more felonies if he's let out of jail, your honor, so we ask for no bond," Garner said.

Assistant District Attorney Duncan Munn told the judge his office also opposed bond.

"He's a flight risk," Munn said. "He appears to be a danger to the community and he is possibly a danger to commit a felony or to intimidate witnesses based on his record."

He also noted that the defendant lacks any ties to the community. When asked why he isn't taking his medicine, Houston replied, "I don't know."

"Honestly, I didn't know I said all that stuff," he said. "I probably blacked out. I feel bad myself just hearing about it. I'm sorry... I've worked with Boston community kids for over like 10 years as a counselor... working with juvenile delinquents... You'd never see that bright side because my dark side always comes out... I'm trying to get as much help as possible. They got me in a hard cell. I don't like, but I guess that's where i need to be."

When Camp asked if Houston had been drinking, Garner said the incident report shows that "he had a strong smell of an alcoholic beverage coming from his person."

After denying bond, she addressed Houston.

"I know you got problems, but you're still a danger to other people," Camp said. "If you have mental problems, it may not be your fault, but you still dangerous to everybody else."