Suspect told officers he was held at gunpoint and told to drive before passenger bailed from vehicle

Two men were jailed by the Rockmart Police Department after officers followed a car that wouldn’t immediately stop when the blue lights came on, and was later found to have suspected heroin inside according to reports.

Police arrested Sincere Malik Billingslea, 22, of 750 W. Church St., Rockmart, and Kierre Shervaughn Burge, 40, of 839 MLK Jr. St., Rockmart, were both jailed on Wednesday morning, September 15 at around 2 a.m. when police first tried to stop the pair driving westbound on Elm Street with a broken taillight, and after they turned onto Prospect Road began to try and pull them over.

Officers noted in the report the car didn’t try to stop, but did turn their hazards on and continued to obey traffic laws until they got to Industrial Drive and Nathan Dean Park, where the passenger later identified as Billingslea jumped from the car and took off on foot in the park toward a nearby apartment complex.

The reporting officer called for help, and Polk County Police later caught up with Billingslea and brought him back to the park. While on the scene with the driver identified as Burge, he told officers that he didn’t know the passenger, that he was held at gunpoint when officers tried to pull him over on Prospect Road and told to continue and was only giving the man a ride. Police noted the strong smell of marijuana coming from the car after they pulled Burge from the vehicle at gunpoint, and afterward.

When police further searched the vehicle, they found a digital scale with white residue on it and a small bag of suspected heroin in the glovebox. Back at the scene after Polk County Police caught up with him and took him into custody, Billingslea complained to officers he wasn’t feeling well and they questioned him on whether he might have eaten some of the drugs he was carrying on his person before being caught.

While at the park, Billingslea began to shout out Burge’s name and later a responding PCPD officer reported to Rockmart Police holding Burge that the two were related. When asked about this, Burge did not respond.

Neither suspect was ever found with a gun, nor any evidence of one was reported by Rockmart Police during the incident.

Police did get the Cedartown Police K-9 officer to sniff around the area where Billingslea ran but found nothing along the path. EMS ultimately came to check on Billingslea, but no further information was provided about his condition before he was transported to the Polk County Jail.

Later, officers reported that they found he was carrying $6,780 in cash in his pocket, and saw a text on Billingslea’s phone for a suspected drug transaction as well. The Rockmart Police took possession of drugs, cash, and phone and are seeking further drug trafficking charges based on the evidence found on the phone if a search warrant is obtained.

Both were charged and taken to Polk County Jail where they remained as of this posting. Burge was charged with felonies for possession of heroin, and obstruction of law enforcement officers along with misdemeanors for possession and use of drug-related objects, tag lights required, and failure to yield for an authorized emergency vehicle. Billingslea was being held for a felony for possession of heroin, and misdemeanors for obstructing law enforcement officers and possession and use of drug-related objects.

Bond was denied for Billingslea, and Burge’s bond was set at $10,600.