Hunt County Sheriff Issues Statement On High Speed Chase

From Hunt County Sheriff’s Office

On Wednesday, November 1, at approximately 12:08 pm, Deputy Tim Brown was on routine patrol at the intersection of SH 276 and FM 751 when he observed a vehicle that appeared painted with spray paint in the Shell gas station at that intersection. A routine check of the license plate indicated that the owner had reported the vehicle stolen out of the City of Greenville Texas.

Deputy Brown pulled the vehicle over at the intersection of SH 276 and Whiskers Rd. The driver initially complied but as the Deputy exited his patrol car, he sped off eastbound on SH 276 towards West Tawakoni. A pursuit went into Rains County exceeding speeds of 120 mph. Rains County Sheriff’s Office assisted while in their jurisdiction. The driver returned to Hunt County on SH 69 through Lone Oak. Officers deployed a spike strip at FM 2947 and SH 69. At that time the Texas Department of Public Safety assisted and confirmed that the suspect attempted to avoid the spikes, but one tire had made contact and was throwing large pieces of tires to the rear. The individual lost control at County Road 3124 and SH 69 and crashed into the ditch. The suspect exited his vehicle with his hands up, and officers took him into custody without further incident. The individual is Johnny Dean Scroggins, 43, from Lone Oak.

“High-speed pursuits are one of the most dangerous things a Deputy can bet involved in, and I am thankful that all the officers and citizens are safe. I want to commend Deputy Tim Brown for his observation skills and handling this pursuit calmly and professionally. I also want to thank Rains County Sheriff’s Office, Constable Terry Jones, Department of Public Safety, and all the other officers that worked together to apprehend this suspect and ensure the public was safe.”