Man Arrested After Vehicle Theft, School Lockdown, and Police Pursuit in Lee County

A 19-year-old man from Montgomery, Alabama, was taken into custody Friday morning following a stolen vehicle report, a school lockdown, and a multi-agency police pursuit across southern Lee County.

According to Sheriff Jim H. Johnson, deputies first received a report around 8:45 p.m. Thursday of a vehicle stolen from a business on Lipford Road in the South Lee Industrial Park. The next morning, at about 7:15 a.m., the principal of Shannon Primary School reported a suspicious man with a backpack behind the school. As a precaution, the school was placed on a soft lockdown while deputies and School Resource Officers responded.

Just before that call, Shannon Police had encountered the same suspect during a stranded motorist assist. Officers reportedly discovered a weapon during the encounter, at which point the suspect assaulted an officer and fled on foot. The vehicle he was associated with was later confirmed to be the one stolen the night before.

Law enforcement agencies including the Shannon, Verona, and Nettleton Police Departments joined Lee County deputies in the search. A citizen tip soon after reported a man matching the suspect’s description near County Road 484 in the Brewer community. Deputies quickly converged on the area, and after a short foot chase, arrested the suspect near Highway 45 and Brewer Road.

The suspect, identified as Malachi L. Griggs, 19, of Montgomery, Alabama, is facing charges in Lee County for felony taking of a motor vehicle and resisting arrest. Additional charges from the Shannon Police Department are pending.

Sheriff Johnson credited the swift resolution to teamwork between local law enforcement and the public.
“This situation was resolved quickly and without any further incidents thanks to the cooperative effort of our agencies and the community,” Johnson said.