Four county chase lands couple in jail

Posted by
Mike Buffington
in Public Safety Archives
Wednesday, October 19. 2011
Comments (22)
A Barrow County male and female, both 24 years old, were taken into custody after they led police on a chase through Barrow, Oconee, Clarke and Jackson counties Sunday afternoon.

According to Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith, the chase began in Winder, where deputies responded to a report of a domestic dispute at 544 Rockwell Church Road.

A witness said she saw Jeffrey Jordan Taylor, 24, of 539 McCarty Road, Statham, and a female victim, identified as Leah Whitney Shepley, of 1328 Jefferson Hwy, Winder, engaged in a verbal dispute that turned physical. According to the witness, the couple was yelling profanities at one another when Taylor jumped up and punched Shepley in the face.

The BCSO was dispatched at about 2:20 p.m., when the witness called 911 and said the female victim was running down the street and her aggressor followed in a black 1998 Chevy Blazer with large chrome wheels on it.

Believing Taylor may have been attempting to run Shepley over, deputies went to look for the vehicle, said Smith.

It was determined that the two met up at the EZ Buy Convenience Store on Jefferson Hwy. and Ga. Hwy. 211, where Shepley got into the vehicle with Taylor and they headed toward Jackson County, said Smith.

Taylor eventually drove back to the EZ Buy, where deputies tried to make a traffic stop. But as he was asked to exit the vehicle, Taylor opened the door and placed his hand under his leg, causing deputies to draw their weapons.

Taylor got back in the driver’s seat and slammed the door, when a pursuit began down Ga. Hwy. 53 on Rockwell Church Road toward Winder on Jefferson Highway at speeds in excess of 90 miles per hour, according to Smith. In Winder, Taylor reportedly took turns from Mimosa Street onto East Broad Street at speeds exceeding 100 miles an hour.

At that time, deputies were still under the impression that Shepley was being held hostage, instead of assisting in Taylor’s attempts to elude law enforcement.

“She was screaming and yelling,” said Smith. ““We were still under the impression that he is beating this girl up.”

Deputies who weren’t involved in the pursuit would later determine that Shepley had been trying to watch for traffic and tell Taylor where to go, said Smith.
Taylor and Shepley led deputies into Statham on Ga. Hwy. 82 and then onto Dials Mill Road in Oconee County, where the Georgia State Patrol picked up the chase.

Taylor tuned right onto Huntington Road in front of the Georgia Square Mall in Athens-Clarke County, turning right onto Timothy Road and onto Epps Bridge Road, before getting onto the Georgia 10-Loop toward Atlanta Highway and then tried to come down Tallassee Road.

The vehicle lost control and swerved onto Ga. Hwy. 82, when it overturned against a tree. Both Shepley and Taylor were transported to Athens Regional Medical Center. A trooper went with them to the hospital where they were arrested and taken to the Barrow County Detention Center, pending several charges with various agencies.

After finding Oxycodone pills in Shepley’s bra during intake, the Barrow County Sheriff’s Office charged her with illegal possession of a controlled substance and fleeing or attempting to elude police.

Taylor’s charges with the BCSO are Violating Georgia’s Controlled Substance Act, obstruction, fleeing and attempting to elude police, no insurance, passing in no passing zone, stop sign violation, aggressive driving and reckless driving.

Assisting Georgia State Patrol troopers attempted to stop Taylor at Ga. Hwy. 1-29 at Cripple Creek Road, according to reported made by GSP Trooper Stan Staniszewski.

Taylor, at one point, drove his car down the wrong side of Highway 1-29 and then turned off onto Ga. Hwy. 82. He was finally apprehended off Timothy Road in Clarke County.

The GSP will charge with three counts of aggravated assault, fleeing and attempting to elude and some other minor traffic charges.

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#1 Police on 10/19/11 at 05:22 AM
yay glad to see this was ok to stop and arrest and search, as was stop made by deputy on Horton street number 52 when Drug dog and deputy arrived within five minutes while officer still writing the cittation.

Glad to see Deputies and officers taking the time to follow the law in regards to stops and searches and arrests.
thank you officers for stopping a out of control driver and his girlfriend, I am not Crazy about the man getting pulled over and arrested for having but of reefer cigarette but at least the deputy in that case acted within the law and prompt attention to the drivers constitutional rights.
#1.1 GMAB on 10/19/11 at 07:14 AM
That man's constitutional rights STOPPED when he hit the woman. You preach and preach about these rights without any knowledge of the start and stop point!Get it right and please feel free to blog up this page with your rhetoric as usual. Just leave out case law as some of us know what we are talking about and read with amusement without blogging.
#1.1.1 no on 10/19/11 at 08:58 AM
I said it was good, I am glad following the Barrow sheriffs office deputies around noticing they are following the Constitution more between watching, reading incident reports and comparing radio calls to the same.
#1.1.1.1 work? on 10/19/11 at 11:50 AM
You have time to play secret squirrel with the BCSO> wow
#1.2 Anonymous on 10/19/11 at 07:46 AM
Please have someone read your post before you hut "Subnmit". You are too hard to read. Go back to cartoons
#1.2.1 hut submit on 10/19/11 at 11:48 AM
sweep around your own door before you .....
#1.3 Really??? on 10/19/11 at 08:54 PM
You really need to stop with the whole "constitution" thing. You are always spouting off about search and seizure and constitution like you know what your talking about. You are doing nothing but showing everyone how un-educated you really are. Try and stay on topic just one time. And I agree with Anonyomous #1.2, you really need to have someone proof read your posts before you hit Submit Comment. All of your responses are OONNNNNEEEE LLOOOONNNGGGG SSSEETTTEENNCCCCE and can barely be understood.
#2 well on 10/19/11 at 05:43 AM
the issue in point is that they deserved to be arrested, not for the pils in my opinion but for the road chase and running of traffic signs and endangering other, also the violence that started the whole thing.
what they were doing to others I say if they want to take pills till thier heads explode let them.
#3 Anonymous on 10/19/11 at 06:31 AM
Oh of course they deserve to be arrested for this offense. While they are in jail all of our property is a little safer since she is also a thief and would steal her mothers last dollar.
#4 fortitude on 10/19/11 at 10:43 AM
Thank you BCSO for not giving up, this trash in our county needs to be dealt with harshly. Wish we could ban repeat offenders from this county
#5 james on 10/19/11 at 11:30 AM
wow springer could do a hour here tonight,,,
#6 Anonymous on 10/19/11 at 01:17 PM
amen on locking both of them up one is just as bad as the other.JAIL IS WHERE BOTH OF THEM BELONG.THANK YOU LAW ENFORCEMENT.
#7 Anonymous on 10/19/11 at 05:40 PM
I listened to this chase as the BCSO chased this car at speeds of 110 MPH plus. The officer responded that he was not even sure there were any passengers in the vehicle at the beginning of the chase. Fearing for the lives of my family, as they were traveling to Athens on Sunday afternoon,I called to tell them to get off the road! Now that I understand the BCSO knew this person, and most likely had a tag number, I am more upset! Why in the world would you continue a chase when you could apprehend this person later? Instead of backing off, they continued to chase this person endangering the lives of countless people on the road. If this person was traveling on the wrong side of the road, which he was, then so were the officers! Thank God there were no other injuries associated with this chase. Thank God my precious family is safe. I'm all for arresting those who are not abiding by the law, and endangering others, but this is just a bit over the top.
#7.1 fortitude on 10/19/11 at 07:51 PM
because executing scum on the side of the road is not permitted, so they had to do the next best thing, arrest them so our DA can give them probation so they can do it again soon. Sorry you were in fear, but I would rather have an officer try and make an arrest if I thought my family member was being beaten while going down the road.
#7.2 Anonymous on 10/19/11 at 09:54 PM
(Comment removed)
#7.2.1 Are you kidding? on 10/19/11 at 10:18 PM
HUH???
#8 J.B. Moore on 10/19/11 at 07:12 PM
In regards to #10 if your child was believed to be held hostage would you prefer the officers call the pursuit and go pull warrants and wait till later to make a custodial arrest? As stated in the article the officers on scene and involved believed that this female was being held hostage, that is an exigent circumstance and the officers acted as most would want them to act if the were held hostage. I do not know but I would believe that the policy of BCSO would be to terminate a pursuit once the identity of the violator is clearly established unless exigent circumstances exist. What would your comment be if deputies called the chase, went to get him later and she was found dead by his actions? You would be outraged!
#9 TickedOff on 10/19/11 at 10:22 PM
Sad situation for the Shepley girls. I watched them grow up from the time they were born. One sister has already lost her life in an accident, two others throwing their lives away to drugs, and now another following in their footsteps. They need lots of prayer. They were actually beautiful girls, so as some of you poke fun, just remember thats some dads little girl. I do realize how wreckless they have become and have actually witnessed their
issues firsthand. I only hope they can get some help, unfortunately they have children that will be a lost generation without some serious help.
#9.1 Anonymous on 10/20/11 at 04:22 PM
Wasn't all these kids raised at Chateau Elan?
#9.1.1 Anonymous on 10/20/11 at 06:55 PM
No, they weren't.
#10 sadly on 10/20/11 at 01:32 AM
two things one is a arrestee doesnt lose the constitutional protections when arrested, even though I get the feeling some here hate that criminals and even non criminals have rights.

second I hope we as community find the compassion to temper justice with mercy, help to get this family on better track.

Thank you and God Bless each and everyone of you.
#11 I can't on 10/20/11 at 07:30 PM
With this paper's policy concerning what should be a not be said, I find it amazing that this blog has continued.
I am not condoning any behavior here or making excuses for any broken laws. I am just saying really attacking the girl, their looks, hair style is uncalled for.
Being called trash referring to the whole family just the whole slant toward a non elected official is disturbing.
This young female is someone's daughter, sister etc. How would any of you feel if this was your child? NO PARENT CAN EVER SAY THAT THEIR CHILD WILL AND WON'T DO SOMETHING. too many parents have had to eat their words with this one.
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