On February 15 we reported on a story that the Ohatchee Police Department was looking to identify a driver of a vehicle passing a stopped school bus in Ohatchee. Later that afternoon Ohatchee Police Chief, Allen Kelly, announced that the driver had been identified.
On February 17 the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office announced that an arrest had been made and the suspect was in custody. Isaiah Laquan Brown turned himself into the Calhoun County Jail in the morning and was charged with Reckless Endangerment and given a bail bond of $3,200.
We spoke to Ohatchee Police Chief, Kelly, who described how the events came into place. Earlier in the day a photo of the vehicle was shared on social media and news media. Chief Kelly stated, “I think that because of all the attention through social media, the suspect, identified as Brown, contacted our office to discuss the situation”. Ohatchee Police Department originally started with the case and filed the report from the bus driver. When the actual location where the incident was identified Ohatchee realized it was just outside of their jurisdiction and actually in the Sheriff’s Office jurisdiction. Ohatchee Police contacted the Sheriff’s Office and transferred the case and all information over to their School Resource Officer to continue the case. Chief Kelly said “We work very closely with the Sheriff’s Office on a lot of different case types. We have an excellent relationship with them”. Chief Kelly was very satisfied and happy that this dangerous driver will face charges for this incident.
The Calhoun County Sheriff, Matthew Wade, said “We want people to know that if you endanger our children and pass a stopped school bus while the lights are flashing, you will go to jail”. He went on to also say, “Thank God we have good bus drivers. They don’t get paid a lot for what they do, and they are responsible for our children’s lives when they are with them. This driver showed zero regard for other people’s lives by choosing to pass multiple vehicles and a stopped school bus”. He explained that this type of event “Fires us [law enforcement] up” and causes police to investigate harder. He also thanked the community for sharing the post on social media, the Ohatchee Police Department, and the School Bus Drivers in this county.
Alabama code defines the charge of Reckless Endangerment as, “if he recklessly engages in conduct which creates a substantial risk of serious physical injury to another person.” It is a class A misdemeanor and carries up to one year in jail and up to a $6,000 fine.
