Teens to remain jailed pending further court hearings

When two men ran from the Wachovia Bank on Peachtree Parkway Tuesday afternoon, it caught the eye of Tyrone resident Lance McMillian as he went through the bank’s drive-through.

McMillian joined a female motorist in following the two suspects to the nearby Amli apartment complex; the woman gave a play-by-play account of the action to emergency dispatchers, alerting police of the suspects’ progress.

“We saw the suspects in the Town Car as they passed us when they drove out ... too close for comfort in retrospect given that they were armed,” McMillian said.

McMillian said he was sure the suspects knew they were being tailed as all three vehicles headed north on Ga. Highway 74.

That may have helped buy police a few extra seconds to respond, as the suspects turned briefly onto Dogwood Trail, turning around at the entrance to Glendalough Manor before heading back onto Hwy. 74. That was likely the suspects’ attempt to shake their pursuers.

Tyrone Police Maj. Van Brock was one of the first officers to spot the car at the intersection of Ga. Highway 74 and Dogwood Trail, joining another Peachtree City officer as the pursuit began, heading north on Ga. Highway 74.

The chase reached speeds of 100 mph through Tyrone, but a Fayette County deputy further north successfully used stop sticks to puncture the tires of the suspects’ getaway vehicle, forcing them to stop and flee on foot.

Brock, the Peachtree City officer and a Fayette deputy hustled after the suspects on foot. Both suspects fled into a nearby wooded area off Ga. Highway 74 near the Bank of Georgia in Fairburn.

Minutes later, two Fairburn police officers apprehended the suspects when they were seen running through a nearby subdivision that’s under development.

The suspects were identified as Mohammed Silliam, 19, and Gerald Wayne Lott, 19, both formerly of Maryland. Both have been hit with federal charges relating to the robbery, and a federal judge determined they should remain in jail pending trial, officials said. Silliam has also been connected to a Sept. 26 bank robbery of a Wachovia branch in Riverdale, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

In the aftermath of the incident, police agencies were quick to compliment each other for working together to stop the suspects.

Peachtree City Police Chief James Murray particularly lauded the sheriff’s deputy who risked his life by putting out the stop sticks — which put himself in harm’s way, Murray said.

Murray also credited the courage of the two bystanders who followed the suspects as they ran from the bank to the Amli Apartments, enabling them to provide a good description of the getaway car. He also credited the emergency dispatchers for promptly relaying accurate information to responding officers.

Brock called the apprehension of the suspects was “a good group effort.”

Brock said he felt he was in the right place at the right time when the description of the getaway car was broadcast on the radio: he was actually in the area responding to a hit and run call.

Two Peachtree City units also happened to be in the north Peachtree City area at the time the incident occurred, which was also fortunate, Murray noted. Fulton County police units also joined Fairburn officers responding to assist in the search after the suspects ran off on foot.

Brock drives an unmarked Dodge Charger, which has been noted among police circles as a car with better acceleration capabilities than standard-model Crown Victoria police units, making it easier to catch up with suspects at high speeds.

When asked if the Charger helped him reach the suspects quicker, Brock cracked: “I could’ve passed them if I wanted to.”

Brock was also able to get close enough to get the tag number of the vehicle. Brock’s car was bought with Tyrone’s share of drug funds seized from dealers in drug raids.