A wanted fugitive was captured Saturday afternoon after a dramatic chase through thick mud and waist-deep water in a swamp off Mike Padgett Highway, and it ended when a K-9 made contact with the suspect’s leg.
Richmond County deputies tracked down the suspect, who had fled into the swamp in a desperate attempt to hide. Deputies were patrolling the 5000 block of the highway around 3:56 p.m. when Deputy Noah Johnson spotted a man who matched the description of a wanted fugitive, according to a press release. The man, identified as Robbie Newton, fled on foot when deputies approached, jumping a guardrail and disappearing into the swamp about 25 to 30 yards from the road.
Additional deputies arrived and set up a perimeter as they searched for Newton. K-9 Roy and his handler, Deputy Hawkins, entered the swamp and tracked the suspect through thick mud and water. When Newton refused to show his hands, the K-9 was deployed and made contact with his leg, prompting him to surrender.
Newton was treated at the scene for minor injuries and arrested on multiple outstanding felony warrants for burglary and at least three other charges.
Sheriff Eugene Brantley later commended the deputies and K-9 team for their professionalism and teamwork, saying the incident showed the value of having trained K-9 units available around the clock to support patrol operations.
