A police standoff ended peaceably Thursday around 6 p.m. when a man eluding arrest gave himself up to police at his mother's request.
A crowd gathered around South College Street near Kali Food Mart Thursday night as Vinnie Anthony Rock, 19, Harvey Wilson Road, was holed up in a home just south of the convenience store. Police blocked off roadways as S.W.A.T. members prepared to invade the house, but in the end, the suspect's mother lured him out of hiding.
Using a megaphone, Rock's mother talked to her son, coaxing him to give himself up to police who were seeking him because of outstanding warrants, said Statesboro Police Chief Stan York.
The crowd grew after police located Rock on South College Street, seeking him for probation violation as well as outstanding warrants, said Det. Sgt. Rob Bryan.
Seeing police, Rock ran and hid in the house. It was not his home, Bryan said.
Rock "would not respond" to officers trying to get him to surrender, York said. "We set up a perimeter, considering he was possibly armed."
Officers continuously pushed the crowd back, ordering them behind the store building and off street corners. While it was not determined at the time that Rock was armed, York said his history of "involvement in incidents with firearms" led police to assume he could be "armed and dangerous."
Officers contacted Rock's family members, and soon his mother was on the scene. The crowd listened as she spoke into a megaphone, persuading her son to come out and face arrest.
After Rock surrendered, he told police "once he saw us, he was scared, afraid," York said. "He said he couldn't hardly breathe until he heard his mama's voice."
The entire standoff lasted between an hour and an hour and a half, he said.
Rock was taken to the Bulloch County Jail, where he was held overnight while investigators question him about possible other cases, Bryan said. He is currently charged with obstruction of officers, probation violation, criminal trespass and simple assault, he said.
Holli Deal Bragg may be reached at (912) 489-9414.
A crowd gathered around South College Street near Kali Food Mart Thursday night as Vinnie Anthony Rock, 19, Harvey Wilson Road, was holed up in a home just south of the convenience store. Police blocked off roadways as S.W.A.T. members prepared to invade the house, but in the end, the suspect's mother lured him out of hiding.
Using a megaphone, Rock's mother talked to her son, coaxing him to give himself up to police who were seeking him because of outstanding warrants, said Statesboro Police Chief Stan York.
The crowd grew after police located Rock on South College Street, seeking him for probation violation as well as outstanding warrants, said Det. Sgt. Rob Bryan.
Seeing police, Rock ran and hid in the house. It was not his home, Bryan said.
Rock "would not respond" to officers trying to get him to surrender, York said. "We set up a perimeter, considering he was possibly armed."
Officers continuously pushed the crowd back, ordering them behind the store building and off street corners. While it was not determined at the time that Rock was armed, York said his history of "involvement in incidents with firearms" led police to assume he could be "armed and dangerous."
Officers contacted Rock's family members, and soon his mother was on the scene. The crowd listened as she spoke into a megaphone, persuading her son to come out and face arrest.
After Rock surrendered, he told police "once he saw us, he was scared, afraid," York said. "He said he couldn't hardly breathe until he heard his mama's voice."
The entire standoff lasted between an hour and an hour and a half, he said.
Rock was taken to the Bulloch County Jail, where he was held overnight while investigators question him about possible other cases, Bryan said. He is currently charged with obstruction of officers, probation violation, criminal trespass and simple assault, he said.
Holli Deal Bragg may be reached at (912) 489-9414.