The Baker County Sheriff’s Office has made a significant arrest in connection to a spate of vehicle thefts in the Macclenny area. Demetrius Burnett, who was the focus of an active manhunt, was apprehended on Thursday after a dramatic confrontation with law enforcement.
Authorities located Burnett at a local gas station on South Sixth Street in Macclenny. According to the Baker County Sheriff’s Office, “Upon making contact with Burnett, he attempted to run over deputies numerous times with the vehicle he was driving, which was stolen from Nassau County on the same day.” In response, deputies were able to disable the stolen vehicle despite Burnett’s attempts to ram into them and their patrol cars.
During the tense standoff, BCSO K-9 Jocko was deployed to assist in the arrest. The trained K-9 entered the vehicle and engaged the suspect, aiding in his eventual capture.
Burnett is now in custody and faces multiple felony charges, including vehicle theft and assault on law enforcement officers. This arrest brings some resolution to the series of vehicle thefts that have plagued Macclenny over the past several days.
The investigation into the string of thefts is ongoing, as authorities work to determine whether Burnett acted alone or was part of a larger criminal network.