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Saturday, Jan. 10, 2009

Several arrested during Macon raid

Pulling up to a house on Pansy Avenue on Friday afternoon, the door to a SWAT van swung open and an officer fired a flash bang grenade — BOOM.

Several people who were in the yard of 278 Pansy Ave. fell to the ground before the dark cloud created by the blast dissipated.

People started running in several directions. Macon Police SWAT team members, police and probation officers and members of the Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force ran toward the house and two other addresses on the street. Women inside the house on the corner of Bluebell Street, ran to a neighboring house. At least one person ran away and was not apprehended by police who blockaded the neighborhood located between Mercer University Drive and Montpelier Avenue.

The Telegraph watched as law enforcement officers systematically gathered each of the people at the three houses and sat them down on the curb.

Lt. Robert Grabowski said officers were searching 264, 278 and 377 Pansy Ave. for guns, “gang culture evidence” and drugs.

Two of the warrants were “no knock warrants,” according to police.

The group of 28 men and women were cited for frequenting a dive and taken into custody for questioning. Grabowski said people were smoking marijuana inside 264 Pansy Ave. and 278 Pansy Ave. when police searched the residences.

Nine people, some of whom authorities determined to have outstanding warrants for various charges, were booked into the Bibb County jail.

“Charges on the warrants range from drug charges to aggravated assault,” Grabowski said. “Recovered at the locations were two rifles, approximately $500 worth of marijuana and several rounds of shotgun ammunition.”

The weapons were located at 264 Pansy Ave., according to authorities.

Lewis Patterson, the owner of 278 Pansy Ave., was charged with operating a dive and possession of marijuana, according to authorities.

Police also hoped to gain information pertaining to a murder investigation, Macon Police Chief Mike Burns said. He would not say which murder.

Grabowski said criminal investigators had been targeting the area.

“This was a combination of three search warrants. There’s been several calls for service. It’s a known location to purchase drugs and alcohol,” he said.

Investigators are continuing to process evidence collected during the raid.

“I am unsure if they located anything to confirm gang involvement,” Grabowski said.

Deputy Police Chief Mike Carswell said the officers ran out of handcuffs during the raid and used plastic “flex cuffs” that seemed to resemble zip-ties.

Burns said no one was injured during the service of the search warrants.

Neighbors who declined to give their names said they welcomed the police officers’ presence.

“It’s helping the neighborhood,” one woman said.

Burns said Friday’s search warrants are the first in a series of raids.

“We’re going to take the streets back and keep the citizens safe,” he said. “It’s a new year and we’re going on the attack.”

To contact writer Amy Leigh Womack, call 744-4398. To contact writer Ashley Tusan Joyner, call 744-4347.