A South Georgian man with a rap sheet is set to trade his freedom for a cell, following a wild car chase that ended in an arrest right on the cops' doorstep. Bryan Everal Pittman, 33, from the small town of Fargo, got slapped with a hefty 110-month prison sentence after pleading guilty to illegal firearm possession, a Department of Justice statement detailed.
Pittman, whose wrap sheet includes aggravated assault and battery, wasn't supposed to have a gun in the first place, but that didn't stop him from allegedly menacing a bunch of terrified folks in a white van with one, leading them to flee straight to the Hahira Police Department last May, U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary pointed out, emphasizing that "convicted felons with violent criminal histories caught illegally possessing a firearm will face federal consequences for breaking the law." The chase painted a chaotic scene witnesses shared with police, describing how Pittman pursued them through the streets, blowing stop signs, the chase culminating in a tense standoff in the very lap of law enforcement.
When the cops arrived, Pittman played it cool, denying he had a gun despite the damning bulge behind the driver's seat, which turned out to be a loaded .380 semi-automatic pistol, complete with a meth pipe for company, according to the FBI. “Pittman, with a lengthy criminal history, once again terrorized innocent victims during his most recent crime. It is past time that he be sent to federal prison with a lengthy sentence for his actions,” FBI's Rich Bilson said in a statement issued by the FBI's Albany office.
The case was a team effort between the FBI and the local police, part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods program aimed at reducing violent crimes, where this round they bagged a big fish thanks to their shared mission to net violators and especially those who flout gun laws aimed at keeping previous offenders from doubling down on their criminal exploits, this type of coordination is exactly what's needed to help communities feel a bit safer—not to mention a bit of relief for the woman who raised the alarm about Pittman's threats.
