Man accused of taking deputies on 100 mph chase, getting into fight at Georgia hospital

After taking officers on a high-speed chase, then injuring himself after getting out of his own vehicle, Charles Keith Cordle tried to fight a sheriff's deputy while being treated at a hospital for his injuries.

By Sam Sachs

HALL COUNTY, Ga. — The Hall County Sheriff’s Office says an Atlanta man is in custody with “a long list of charges” after allegedly driving drunk and taking police on a high-speed chase.

The sheriff’s office said Charles Keith Cordle, 64, was involved in a reckless driving incident on Oct. 1.

Cordle was allegedly driving recklessly when an off-duty Gwinnett County police officer on the way home saw him and tried to perform a traffic stop on Lanier Parkway heading northbound.

Instead, Cordle drove off, starting a chase.

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A Hall County deputy joined the pursuit near Exit 16, seeing Cordle’s vehicle drive off the roadway multiple times and at one point running into the guardrail near the Elachee Drive bridge, according to HCSO.

The deputy estimated Cordle was driving at more than 100 mph and believed him to be a danger to other drivers, so he initiated a PIT maneuver.

The PIT maneuver was successful, HCSO said, and Cordle’s vehicle came to a stop, with Cordle’s car facing the deputy’s patrol vehicle.

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Instead of staying put, Cordle is accused of accelerating into the patrol vehicle while trying to leave the scene.

“The deputy was able to exit the patrol vehicle and approach the driver’s side of Cordle’s vehicle,” but Cordle refused to get out.

Eventually, HCSO said the deputy had to pull him out from behind the wheel.

After pulling Cordle out of the vehicle, the sheriff’s office said Cordle showed signs of intoxication and fell onto the pavement, injuring his left eye and forehead.

Before going to the Hall County Jail for booking, Cordle was taken to Northeast Georgia Medical Center Gainesville for treatment of his injuries.

While at the hospital, Cordle tried to leave and got into a fight with the deputy watching over him.

During that altercation, Cordle fell again, the sheriff’s office said, and he sustained another injury, this time on the back of his head.

Cordle was released a few days after his arrest, posting a $17,740 bond.

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