Major drug crackdown in Atlanta: Narcotics, weapons seized as community tips lead 8 arrests

ATLANTA - Three drug busts caught on camera land eight people behind bars and netted tens of thousands in illegal narcotics and weapons off Atlanta streets.

Atlanta police say the busts all started as tips from residents who care about their communities in a collaboration that officers are calling community policing at its best.

Dramatic body camera video shows one of those busts.

Oak Knoll Terrace drug bust

"He's jumping out the window, he's jumping out the window. Get on the ground," an officer can be heard screaming.

The suspects desperately scattered when officers arrived at a suspected drug house on Oak Knoll Terrace in southeast Atlanta. After a brief foot chase, the police finally cornered four suspects at the location. 

"Crawl, crawl…stay on the ground," an officer ordered a gunpoint. 

Dezmon Robinson, Gabriel Johnson, Johnny Anthony and Wilbur Alford were taken into custody.

They also found marijuana, a Glock, rounds of ammunition and more than $1,200 in cash.

"Put your hands behind your back. Put them behind your back brother," a narcotics officer demanded.

Arthur Street drug bust

Police had similar success on Arthur Street in southwest Atlanta. Officers seized mushrooms, methamphetamine, marijuana and oxycodone pills, and $10,000 in cash.

Jazmine Jones, Antonio Hammond, and Markell Cody ended up in handcuffs. 

"Thanks to our community partners, our officers were able to serve at least three search warrants for narcotics. The community members called in tips to Crime Stoppers as well as to our narcotics division," Atlanta Police Deputy Chief P. Spann said.

Noble Creek Drive drug bust

The third bust happened at an apartment on Noble Creek Drive in northwest Atlanta. Police seized eight weapons, a ballistic vest and lots of narcotics, including psilocybin mushrooms, Xanax, THC edibles, moon rock, M30 pills and marijuana.

APD is crediting residents in the community for seeing something and saying something. Narcotics officers, SWAT and the APEX units did the rest.

"This is just a brief example of our partnership with the community. How the community has zero tolerance for this type of activity in their community and helps us to prosecute these types of cases," the deputy chief remarked.

APD is urging anyone who sees something in their community or neighborhood that doesn't seem quite right to give them a call at 404 577-TIPS (8477).