A west Georgia man at the center of a countywide manhunt was captured Tuesday night by an off-duty Cedartown police officer, authorities said.
Kevin Dakota Burnum, 25, of Buchanan, faces nine felony charges, jail records show.
The search for Burnum began about 11:30 a.m. when he allegedly stole a truck in Haralson County and crashed it in neighboring Polk County before getting out and running from law enforcement, Polk County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Jonathan Blackmon said.
After crashing the truck, Burnum tried to break into several other vehicles and attempted to carjack a woman while armed with a handgun and a rifle, authorities said.
He also entered several vacant vacation homes, and at one point attempted to traverse a lake in a kayak he found, Blackmon said.
“He got one man’s kayak but didn’t put the plug in it and just about sunk it,” he said, adding that the vessel was later discovered partially submerged in the water.
The search involved several departments, including Polk County police, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the Georgia State Patrol, Cedartown police and the Haralson County Sheriff’s Office, authorities said. Several police K-9s were also brought in to track the man, but they were unable to pick up his scent.
Burnum was eventually captured Tuesday evening after being held at gunpoint by an off-duty Cedartown police detective at a home on James Daniel Road, the sheriff's office said in a Facebook post.
The off-duty cop participated in the manhunt earlier in the day and was checking on his parents when he got a call from one of their neighbors saying they spotted the man.
“It’s crazy,” Blackmon laughed. “We don’t typically have anything like that happen here ... It’s pretty funny.”
Burnum is charged with second-degree burglary, theft by taking, theft by receiving stolen property, two counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, possession of a sawed-off shotgun, entering an automobile, conspiracy to commit a felony and possession of methamphetamine, online records show. He also faces additional charges in Haralson County.
Burnum remains held without bond at the Polk County Jail.
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