Man charged with multiple offenses after chase by law enforcement

On Wednesday, July 19, 2023, Lewis County Deputy Michael Scott, attempted to initiate a traffic stop on the Natchez Trace Parkway with a gray Dodge Ram 1500 going 72 miles per hour in a 50 mile per hour zone. When Deputy Scott turned around, the vehicle accelerated at a high rate of speed. Once he caught up with the vehicle, he initiated his emergency lights, and the subject started to yield, then rapidly accelerated again.

Shortly after, the suspect's vehicle began to have mechanical issues, causing him to pull over. Justin Atkins, 34, of Waynesboro, exited out of the driver's side front door of the truck, and begin running through the woods. Deputy Scott continued to pursue Atkins on foot, began giving him verbal commands to stop and get on the ground, and the subject complied. Atkins was placed in handcuffs and escorted to the patrol car.

Deputy Mathew Boutwell arrived on scene at this time and began inventorying the vehicle. Steps were retraced by Deputy Scott through the woods, looking for any illegal contraband that Atkins might have thrown while resisting arrest. Deputy Natasha Courter arrived on scene and assisted Deputy Boutwell. Upon inventorying the vehicle, Deputy Boutwell found a black duck-tape bag on the passenger side of the vehicle, sitting on top of the dash, containing one plastic bag with 29.6 grams of a white crystal-like substance that, through training and experience, Scott knew it was methamphetamine. A smaller bag containing 2.2 grams of methamphetamine inside was also found, with a total weight of 31.8 grams of methamphetamine. Deputy Courter found a black zip-up bag on the floor of the back seat of the truck, containing 17 unused small zip-lock baggies, a glass pipe with residue of methamphetamine, and a used syringe with residue of methamphetamine.

After running the tag that was on the truck through dispatch, it came back to a 1999 green Saturn registered to Chase Hall out of Ethridge. The VIN number on the truck was then ran, it came back registered to Howard Johnson Jr. out of Mount Pleasant.

Deputy Scott then cleared the scene, transported Atkins to the Lewis County Jail without incident or injury, and placed him in the jail staff's custody. Deputy Boutwell and Courter stood by until Taylor's Wrecker Service came and towed the truck.

Atkins was charged with Reckless Driving, Felony Evading Arrest, Driving on Revoked, 2 Resisting Arrest, Misuse of Registration, Felony Possession of Meth with Intent, and Felony Drug Paraphernalia.