Bibb County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to Advance Auto Parts located at 6459 Zebulon Road on Thursday, October 12, 2017 just before 10:00 a.m. in reference to an attempted theft of a motorcycle. Information on the call reported the white male suspect was in a red Chevrolet Colorado Pickup Truck with a Florida license plate. It was reported that the suspect had attempted to start the engine on the 2014 Yamaha motorcycle after taking the helmet on the motorcycle and putting it on, but could not start it because of an anti-theft device on the motorcycle.
Corporal Inzar arrived on scene first and saw the truck fitting the description given. He approached the vehicle and made contact with the suspect attempting to leave the parking lot. Corporal Inzar activated his blue lights to make a traffic stop on the vehicle. As he approached the driver’s side of the vehicle, he identified himself to the driver. As Corporal Inzar was speaking to the driver he could see the driver was very nervous acting. The deputy noticed a large bladed knife under the driver’s leg. He asked the driver, identified as 50 year old Robert Eugene Epps of Florida, to step out of the vehicle. After stepping out of the vehicle, Epps was asked if he had any other weapons on him and he stated a knife was in his front pocket. As the deputy patted Epps for his safety, checking for any other weapons, Epps pulled away from the deputy in attempts to flee. Epps was placed into custody after a brief struggle with the deputy with the assistance of a witness and victim of the motorcycle Epps attempted to take.
Epps was checked at the scene by paramedics after he was taken into custody in reference to being tased by the deputy which had no effect and receiving some abrasions during the resistant struggle with the deputy. Bibb County Sheriff’s Investigators also responded to the scene. Epps was transported to the Bibb County Law Enforcement Center and charged with Criminal Attempt to Commit a Felony, Willful Obstruction of a Law Enforcement Officer, Traffic Motor Vehicle Offense, Aggravated Battery and Possession of a Weapon During the Commission of a Crime. Epps also had an active warrant for an unrelated charge out of Barrow County Georgia. He is presently held in the Bibb County LEC. Bond was denied by a Magistrate Judge.