DOUGLAS COUNTY, Ga. — A former NFL player who played high school football in Gwinnett County was arrested in connection with the armed robbery of an AT&T store in Douglas County, a sheriff’s spokesman said.
Police told Channel 2's Tom Regan that on Wednesday, just before 6 p.m., Quanterus Smith, 27, and Brandon Byse, 22, robbed the AT&T store on Thornton Road at gunpoint, demanding money and taking iPhones.
A store worker said the two men stole 10 phones and over $500.
Officials told Regan the suspects fled, but their car was spotted a short distance away, on Skyview Road near Thornton Road, by a Douglas County sheriff's deputy.
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Following an initial stop, deputies say Smith drove off, putting others on the road in danger.
"The chase took a couple of turns, crossed some median and eventually ended up south on Thornton Road," Douglas County Sheriff's Sgt. Jessie Hambrick said. "Traffic wasn't especially heavy, but there were concerns for the community based on erratic driving and speed."
A deputy pulled a PIT maneuver, sending the car crashing into the woods where Smith and Byse were arrested.
Smith graduated from Grayson High School in Loganville and went on to play college football at Western Kentucky University. He last played in the NFL with the Denver Broncos in 2014, according to his biography on NFL.com.
DEVELOPING: Former NFL player from Dekalb County charged with armed robbery of cellphone store. Authorities say he took officers on chase.
— Tom Regan (@tomreganWSB) August 11, 2017
Cox Media Group
