DAILY LEADER / RHONDA DUNAWAY / A Brookhaven police officer and a Lincoln County sheriff’s deputy are seen combing a neighborhood on Congress Street Saturday near Lincoln Plaza where a suspect with a felony warrant fled on foot.

In the neighborhood on West Congress Street Saturday, a few minutes after 3 p.m., several Brookhaven Police officers and Lincoln County Sheriff’s deputies were combing the neighborhood looking for a suspect that had fled on foot.

“We do not believe this guy to be dangerous,” Sheriff Steve Rushing said. “He’s one of our regulars. All of my guys are familiar with him and they all knew this guy had a warrant out. He has felony malicious mischief charges of vandalism on him right now – that’s what the warrant is for, and we’ve had him before on other charges.”

The center of the neighborhood search was at 850 W. Congress St., which is the address of an abandoned house. Officers covered several streets by car and on foot. Black and khaki uniforms could be seen walking through backyards, climbing over fences and going down alleyways, including around Lincoln Plaza.

The sheriff said a deputy was in the area when he saw the subject pulling into Lincoln Plaza on Highway 51 North.

“One of my guys saw this subject, we knew he had a warrant,” Rushing said. “The subject had pulled into Poppa’s parking lot, parked his car and got out. The deputy pulled in behind him, and when he began approaching the subject, the subject fled on foot.” The sheriff said the man headed into the neighborhood behind the shopping center down West Congress Street.

Rushing said he would not release the subject’s name at this time. He was only described as a black male wearing a blue shirt.

At press time the subject had not been found.