CORDELE, Ga. (WALB) - [UPDATE 4/15/26 @5 p.m.] Nickalus Mainor, 44, was taken into custody after the incident that began just before midnight Saturday, April 11, according to the Crisp County Sheriff’s Office.

A Georgia State Patrol trooper attempted to stop a vehicle that refused to pull over. The driver fled, leading authorities on a chase through several streets in Cordele.

A Crisp County deputy joined the pursuit to assist. Troopers performed a Precision Immobilization Technique maneuver to stop the vehicle.

Mainor attempted to flee again by accelerating and crashing into a Crisp County patrol car, according to investigators. He then exited the car and tried to escape on foot.

Law enforcement deployed a Taser. With assistance from the Georgia State Patrol, Mainor was taken into custody.

Multi-agency response

Crisp County Sheriff Billy Hancock said the incident shows the importance of agencies working together in a small community.

“We monitor each other on the radio,” Hancock said. “We’ve worked hard and spent a lot of money to get that radio system to where we can hear the troopers in our county and the troopers can hear us because when you work in a small community, you don’t have a lot of people out.”

The Cordele Police Department also responded to assist at the end of the pursuit.

Hancock said when someone runs from law enforcement, there is usually a reason beyond a minor traffic violation.

“The majority of time when somebody runs hard like that and puts other people’s lives in danger, there is something there that’s causing them to do that.”

Mainor was wanted by the U.S. Marshals Service at the time of the incident, deputies said.

Deputy uninjured in crash

The deputy whose patrol car was rammed was not injured in the crash, according to Hancock.

“The accident certainly jarred the deputy, shocked him, but he jumped out and went to work,” Hancock said. “He didn’t let it deter him from doing what he had to do.”

That deputy helped effect the arrest after the trooper deployed the Taser. Hancock said having multiple officers on scene prevented further harm.

“Had you been by yourself in that situation, and when someone’s wanting to fight you, they’re going to do everything they can to get away,” he said. “So if you’ve got two, maybe three officers, you can bring that person under control without harming them or without an officer getting harmed.”

Mainor swung at the deputy during the arrest, Hancock said. The suspect was seen in video footage tearing off his coat and shirt to free his arms.

Video released to show officer dedication

Hancock said the sheriff’s office released video of the incident to show the community what law enforcement faces.

“I think that’s the reason we let that video out, is we wanted people to see that when they’re home asleep, there’s a group of men and women that have left their families to protect them, not knowing if they’re going home the next day.”

The sheriff said the dedication is especially meaningful given that a Crisp County deputy was murdered two and a half years ago.

“These young men and women still get up every day, put on a uniform, put on a badge, and go serve this community,” Hancock said. “That is just tremendous as to what it says for them.”

Mainor faces charges including fleeing or attempting to elude police, aggravated assault, obstruction of law enforcement, interference with government property and several traffic violations.

Mainor remains behind bars, investigators said. No one was seriously injured during the chase.

The investigation remains active and ongoing.

[Original Article] The Crisp County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) has released new details and footage from a dangerous late-night pursuit that ended with a suspect in custody.

According to investigators, the incident began just before midnight on Saturday, April 11, when a Georgia State Patrol (GSP) trooper attempted to stop a vehicle that refused to pull over. The driver instead fled, leading authorities on a chase through several streets in Cordele.

A Crisp County deputy joined the pursuit to assist as the situation escalated. Troopers eventually performed a Precision Immobilization Technique (PIT) maneuver to stop the vehicle. However, officials say the driver attempted to flee again, this time by accelerating and deliberately crashing into a Crisp County patrol vehicle.

The suspect then exited the car and tried to escape on foot. Law enforcement deployed a Taser, and with assistance from the Georgia State Patrol, the suspect was taken into custody without further incident.

Authorities identified the driver as 44-year-old Nickalus Mainor of Byron, Georgia. Deputies say Mainor was already wanted by the U.S. Marshals Service at the time of the incident.

He now faces multiple charges, including fleeing or attempting to elude police, aggravated assault, obstruction of law enforcement, interference with government property, and several traffic violations.

No serious injuries were reported. The investigation remains ongoing.

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