12/30/2025
UPDATE 12/30/25 1:05 pm
Robert Wayne Bookter was taken into custody shortly after noon today when he was spotted walking near the 100 block of Southern Boulevard by a Chatham County Sheriff’s Office deputy. This area is roughly 1/4 of a mile from where Bookter escaped last night.
Bookter will be taken to the Chatham County Detention Center, and is facing charges of Obstruction and Battery of a Law Enforcement Officer as a result of last night’s incident. We would like to thank the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance in this case.
UPDATE 12/30/25 12:41 pm
Bookter has been captured. More details will be released shortly.
SEARCH FOR ESCAPEE CONTINUES
The Chatham County Police Department is continuing its search for 39-year-old Robert Wayne Bookter who escaped last night from police custody.
Bookter was stopped on December 29, 2025, by a Chatham County Police Department officer for driving with a trailer that had no tag or tail lights. Officers learned Bookter had multiple outstanding warrants from the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office and Chatham County Sheriff’s Office for charges that included aggravated assault, and took him into custody on those charges.
Around 7:15 pm, a Chatham County Police Department officer was transporting Bookter to the Chatham County Detention Center, and was on Chatham Parkway near Police Memorial Drive when Bookter sprayed a chemical irritant that caused the officer to immediately begin coughing uncontrollably while his eyes and nose began to water severely. The officer put his patrol car into park, and the automatic door actuator unlocked all of the vehicle doors. Even though he was handcuffed behind his back, Bookter opened the back door and fled the vehicle. Because of his temporary incapacitation from the chemical spray, the officer was not able to give chase. But he immediately radioed for assistance.
A search immediately began for Bookter which included multiple law enforcement agencies, K-9 Units, drones, and a helicopter. A perimeter was searched for several hours, contact was made with Bookter’s immediate family members, and one residence was searched. Our efforts to capture him are ongoing, but at this time Bookter remains at large.
Bookter is 5’9”, approximately 175 lbs, with green eyes and brown hair. When he was last seen he was handcuffed behind his back and was wearing a one piece, all-camouflage coverup.
A thorough review of Bookter’s escape is taking place. Our initial findings show that the officer allowed Bookter to put on the one piece camouflage suit because of the cold. This suit was patted down in a search, but not the clothes Bookter was wearing underneath them. We have also found that the child-safety locks on the vehicle were not activated, which allowed the back door to be opened from the inside when the patrol unit was placed in park.
The officer involved in the incident was transported to a local hospital for treatment, and was released a short time later. At this time, we still do not know what chemical was sprayed in the vehicle. Bookter is now facing charges of Obstruction and Battery of a Law Enforcement Officer as a result of the chemical incident.
Anyone with information regarding Bookter’s whereabouts can contact us through our online Crime Tip page here:
https://police.chathamcountyga.gov/Tips
You can also anonymously call Crime Stoppers at 912-234-2020.
The Chatham County Police Department is the lead investigative agency in this case, and any information from other agencies may or may not be accurate at this time.
