ATLANTA — Georgia Department of Corrections records suggest Talawrence Vickers would have likely ended his sentence for burglary in late 2020.
But his attempt to get out a little early on his own just before New Year's Eve - and the fact that he led police on a high-speed change to the back of a Walmart parking lot when they found him - will probably mean more time behind bars.
Vickers was arrested on Tuesday just after midnight when authorities suggest he became very reluctant to pull over for deputies on I-75. What began as a traffic stop quickly became a southbound pursuit at mile marker 191. The chase continued for a couple of miles until, according to a statement from deputies, Vickers apparently left the road. But he didn't stop.
Instead, authorities said he continued onto State Route 42 heading toward Forsyth, Georgia and then entered a Walmart parking lot. It's here where the vehicle portion of the chase came to an end as he reached the back of the lot and tried to escape on foot into the woods.
And that's where police were able to catch up to the runaway driver and learn at least one big reason why he may have been intent on escaping. They uncovered Vickers's identity and the fact that he was an escapee from the Smith Transition Center out of south Georgia. Until his unapproved departure, he was serving time for burglary, attempted burglary and theft by receiving stolen property - crimes he had also served time for in the past.
Vickers will now add new charges to that list including felony fleeing or attempting to elude, possession of less than an ounce of marijuana, possession of drug-related objects, obstruction of an officer for fleeing on foot, giving a false name and date of birth to law enforcement, speeding, reckless driving and driving with a suspended license. He also has a pending charge of possession and crossing a guard line.
The Georgia Department of Corrections suggests in their online records that Vickers was set for a maximum possible release date of Nov. 19, 2020, for his previous crimes.
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