Dalton man leads officers on foot pursuit down I-75 after stealing $20 knife from Shugart Walmart

According to a Dalton Police Department incident report, On March 14th, 2023, at 12:55 PM, Officer Jones, along with Officers Fraire, Johnson, and Lewis, responded to Walmart located at 815 Shugart Road to a report of a shoplifting in progress. As officers were responding, they were advised that the male shoplifter had stolen a knife, was armed, and fleeing through the parking lot. Officer Fraire and Officer Jones arrived on the north end of Home Depot and located the suspect, later identified as Asheton Blakely Carlisle, 23, of Dalton, walking north behind the home depot. Officer Jones reported, “Upon the sight of our patrol vehicle, he turned around and then ran back south toward the woods and the interstate. Officer Fraire stopped the vehicle and got out, and pursued him on foot. Carlisle ran west through the woods and got onto I-75, and began running south on the northbound side of I-75. (note: pedestrian traffic on I-75 is strictly prohibited, posted by signage, under O.C.G.A. Code 40-6-90 – failure to follow a traffic control device). Carlisle continued running south and then back down into the woods toward Walmart. At this time, [I] observed Carlisle run back down the hill and onto the grass, running south next to Walmart. [I] gave him multiple verbal commands telling him to stop running. Carlisle refused to stop running and continued running south. He crossed over a fence and was apprehended by Officer Fraire, who was on the same side of the fence as him.” Walmart video showed Carlisle tearing the knife packaging open and then concealing the knife on his person. When confronted, Carlisle is on his phone at the time and then turns and runs from loss prevention. The male is laughing and saying, “See ya,” as he flees on foot. The knife is valued at $20.04 after tax which also has a fixed blade longer than three inches. Carlisle was transported to the Whitfield County Jail, charged with shoplifting, felony possession of a firearm/knife during the commission of a felony, misdemeanor willful obstruction of law officers, and obedience to traffic devices and regulations by pedestrians.