March 18th, 2022 – 12:00 PM
Gordon Sheriff Mitch Ralston –
At about 6:30 a.m. this morning in the pre-dawn darkness, Gordon County sheriff’s deputies received a ‘lookout’ for an armed carjacking suspect who’d hijacked and stolen two automobiles in succession near Rome (Georgia), evaded authorities there, and was believed to be heading toward our community. Deputies immediately deployed to the Highway 53 (Rome Road) area in response, where a deputy saw the stolen car driven by the hijacker traveling eastward toward Calhoun.
The deputy tried to stop the car whereupon the suspect vehicle fled away at a very high rate of speed on State Route 53 Spur. The deputy pursued the car to the area of Court Street and River Street where the suspect, after striking a civilian vehicle, lost control and crashed near the (Calhoun) Post Office. This offender exhibited absolutely no regard for the welfare of others while fleeing into town at such an hour and in such conditions. The deputy, who was quickly joined by Calhoun Police, arrested the offender without resistance. Deputies recovered the firearm believed to have been used in the armed carjacking.
There were no injuries involved to officers, innocent bystanders, or anyone else during the pursuit and arrest. The suspect was identified as one ALEX BERNARD JOYNER, age 30 of 94 May Road, Cartersville, Georgia. Records from Bartow County indicate that JOYNER pled ‘guilty’ to charges of Aggravated Assault, a Firearms Violation, and Theft in Bartow County in 2009 and received a 15-year sentence. He served time in prison and was paroled… He is currently (still) on probation for those charges.
JOYNER is lodged in the Gordon County Jail where he faces new charges here of Felony Fleeing and Attempting to Elude Law Enforcement Officers, Unlawful Possession of a Firearm, and a number of other traffic-related charges. He will face additional charges in Floyd County. The officers involved in this pursuit and arrest handled the entire event in an excellent manner, during what could potentially have been a catastrophic situation. JOYNER will now be held accountable here in our courts.
The Floyd County Police Department also reported on this arrest:
“A man who is suspected in the armed robbery of two women this morning in Shannon is in jail
following a police pursuit in one of the vehicles he stole from Floyd County.
The Cartersville man approached two victims with a gun this morning before dawn and stole their
vehicles. In one case he held the gun to the face of the victim before speeding away and crashing her
car.
Alex Bernard Joyner, 30, of 94 May Road was arrested by the Gordon County Sheriff Office
following a police lookout this morning around 6 a.m. Deputies pursued him from Ga 53 Spur until he
crashed near the Calhoun Post Office. He is being held in Gordon County Jail on charges of felony
fleeing law enforcement, weapons violations and miscellaneous traffic offenses.
Joyner will face charges of armed robbery, aggravated assault, terroristic threats, false
imprisonment and weapons violations after he is transferred to Floyd County Jail.
According to third shift patrol officers from the Floyd County Police Department, Joyner approached
a woman at her home on New Hermitage Road at around 5:50 a.m. She attempted to close her door to
escape his advance but he forced it open and pointed a pistol to her face, demanding she turn over the
car. He subsequently crashed the stolen Chrysler Pacifica in a sharp curve near Ga 53 and walked to a
nearby gas station on Ga 140.
The suspect approached the gas station attendant at around 6:20 a.m., pointed a gun at her and
told her to hand over her keys. The suspect promised that she would get the car back “when they catch
me.”
There were no injuries reported from either incident in Floyd County. Gordon County authorities
report that Joyner crashed the stolen Infinite into another vehicle while he was evading their arrest.”