Police: Escapee kicked cop, reached for a gun

When a Lilburn police officer stopped to help a stranded motorist, he didn’t expect to get kicked in the face during a pursuit.

After that pursuit, Donte Cephas, of Baltimore, was arrested and charged with assaulting a law enforce- ment officer. Police found that Cephas was an escaped convict from Maryland who had been on the run since March, Channel 2 Action News reported.

The officer noticed Cephas standing beside his vehicle in the middle of the intersec- tion of Killian Hill and Arcado roads Tuesday afternoon. Cephas told the officer his battery died, and the officer said he would stick around until a tow truck came, a police report says.

The officer noticed the car’s license p late was expired and ran it through a police database. He found the car was also uninsured. The officer asked for Cephas’ driver’s license, and Cephas said he didn’t have it; he gave the officer the name Jaquin White and a birthday that would make him 12 years younger than his age of 39, the report says.

When another officer arrived as backup, Cephas began walking away. When the officers followed him, Cephas ran towards the woods, the report says.

During the pursuit, the officers saw Cephas reaching and “struggling with his clothing” around the waist; they would later learn he had a gun in his waistband, the report says. One of the officers tackled Cephas by his legs, and Cephas repeatedly kicked the officer in the face, the report says.

The officers were able to arrest Cephas after shocking him with a stun gun.

The officer who was kicked was treated by paramedics, but did not go to the hospital. Cephas was treated at Gwinnett Medical Center after being shocked with the stun gun and was transferred to the Gwinnett County Detention Center.

Cephas is being held without bond on charges of aggravated assault against law enforcement, willful obstruction of law enforcement, possession of a firearm as a convicted felon, giving a false name to law enforcement, driving with a suspended license and driving without insurance. The Legal Advertising Department will be on THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 22 & FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2018

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Donte Cephas, 39, allegedly kicked a Lilburn officer.