A man who has been involved in several chases from local police ended up in handcuffs once again over the weekend on Saturday, according to Rockmart Police reports.

Officers arrested Zyshonne Lauaie Middlebrooks, 26, after he was spotted by police in a vehicle and using his phone while driving, and he took off from Rockmart Police instead of pulling over for a traffic stop.

He went by the officer on Elm Street near Bluff Street, turned onto South Marble Street briefly when he initially stopped, then took off again and the officer went looking for Middlebrooks behind the wheel of a 2014 Kia passenger car.

Police caught up with Middlebrooks after he fled from the car on foot on Cherry Street trying to run into the woods, but ultimately gave up and was taken into custody without further incident.

Officers searched the area after Middlebrooks tried to run away and found a backpack he tried to dump in the woods. Police searched the backpack and found several tablets of “Roxies” or Roxicodone (a form of Oxycodone.) He was also found with some powder in baggies that wasn’t immediately identified in the report, and a small amount of marijuana.

Additional Rockmart officers who searched the area of the brief chase in the downtown area later located a 9mm Smith & Wesson handgun on the sidewalk at the intersection of Maple and Slate Streets. Police noted the weapon was scratched up like it had been tossed during the incident, and was loaded (without a round in the chamber.)

When they looked into the weapon’s history, the serial number for the handgun came back up as stolen out of Cobb County.

Police also took Middlebrooks’ phone and pills into evidence after he was taken to the Polk County Jail for processing.

He remained in custody on multiple felony and misdemeanor charges as of this posting for the following charges: possession of cocaine, possession of a Schedule II controlled substance, possession and use of drug-related objects, possession of marijuana less than an ounce, two counts of tampering with evidence, abandonment of dangerous drugs, driver to exercise due care, driving while license suspended or revoked and theft by receiving stolen property.

This was not the first time Middlebrooks has faced charges following a chase. He has been involved in three prior incidents dating back to 2017, including two since 2020.

Middlebrooks was being held on a $38,500 bond in jail on the latest charges.