A Chattooga County man, Franklin Delon Hawkins, 54, was arrested on September 9, 2025, following a high-speed pursuit that spanned two counties and concluded with charges of methamphetamine possession, fleeing law enforcement, and failure to maintain lane.

The incident began on the evening of September 9, when Chattooga County Deputy Ellenburg was patrolling the North Ridge Estates area. According to the incident report, Deputy Ellenburg observed Hawkins, a Black male, standing by the side of the road. As the deputy approached, Hawkins reportedly looked up, walked across the road, and headed towards US-27.

Shortly after, Deputy Ellenburg noticed a black Dodge Charger parked in a gravel driveway at 373 North Ridge Estates, a vehicle he did not recognize from prior patrols in the area. As the deputy passed, Hawkins, who was inside the Charger, allegedly looked up, immediately pulled out, and began driving west towards US-27 at a high rate of speed, quickly rounding a curve and disappearing over a hill.

Deputy Ellenburg, believing Hawkins was attempting to elude him, turned around and initiated a pursuit. Upon reaching US-27, the deputy observed Hawkins stopped at a stop sign. Despite the deputy activating emergency lights and sirens, Hawkins reportedly failed to yield and continued traveling northbound on US-27. The pursuit continued as Hawkins, according to the report, refused to pull over in safe areas, leading Deputy Ellenburg to notify Chattooga County E911 as the chase crossed into Walker County.

The pursuit ended when Hawkins slowed down and turned right onto Hwy-151, then left into a Texaco gas station located at the intersection of US-27 and Hwy-151. Deputy Ellenburg approached Hawkins’ vehicle from the driver’s side and requested his driver’s license, to which Hawkins allegedly admitted he did not possess one.

Hawkins was then asked to step out of the car. During a Terry Frisk for weapons, Deputy Ellenburg reportedly felt a hard object in Hawkins’s right cargo pocket that he immediately identified as a glass smoking device commonly used for methamphetamine. Upon feeling the object, Hawkins allegedly turned towards the deputy, looked him in the eyes, and uttered “yeah.” Hawkins was then forcibly turned around and handcuffed without further incident.

Chattooga and Walker County Deputies, including Chattooga County K9 Deputy N. Robinson and K9 Kendy, arrived on scene to assist. K9 Kendy conducted a free-air sniff of Hawkins’s vehicle, alerting numerous times, but a subsequent search by deputies did not yield any further illegal substances.

After being read his Miranda Rights, Hawkins reportedly agreed to speak with Deputy Ellenburg. He initially stated he didn’t stop because he wanted to find a safe place. Later, when asked again, Hawkins claimed that a man identified as Cody Lawrence (later identified as John Wayne Lawrence) had called him, warning him that Deputy Ellenburg was pursuing him and instructing him not to stop and to “throw ‘it’ out the window.” Hawkins then hesitated before admitting “it” referred to the “meth pipe,” which he also stated Lawrence had given him.

Franklin Delon Hawkins was transported to the Chattooga County Jail without further incident. Authorities have noted that further investigation is underway regarding John Wayne Lawrence.