An 18-year-old Cedartown man has been charged with two counts of aggravated assault following an attack on the Silver Comet Trail, according to police. Isiah Logan Pankey, 18, was taken into custody after officers were dispatched to the area of 301 E. Gibson St. for a report of a person being assaulted with a weapon. Initial information was unclear, but officers soon began searching for the victim.
During the search, two individuals behind the Cedartown Welcome Center flagged down an officer and reported that the suspect had fled north along the Silver Comet Trail toward a nearby construction site. Police later received information that the suspect was inside the Duffey Southeast Construction office on Ware Street.
Officers responded to the location and found Pankey inside the office, reportedly speaking on the phone with what appeared to be a 911 dispatcher. Police then continued efforts to locate the victim on the trail.
The victim was found on the Silver Comet Trail with Advent EMS personnel. The victim told officers he was walking home on the trail when a man emerged from nearby bushes and began attacking him with a brick, striking him in the left knee and knocking him to the ground. Police said the attacker then produced a knife and attempted to cut the victim as he tried to defend himself. The victim sustained multiple lacerations to both hands and later received several sutures at Polk Medical Center.
A witness who reported the incident told police they were inside a building at 301 E. Gibson St. when they heard someone screaming for help. The witness said they looked outside and saw the victim being assaulted on the trail and ran toward the scene, yelling at the attacker. The suspect then fled toward the railroad tracks, removing and discarding a ski mask. The witness described the suspect as wearing light gray jogging pants, a black T-shirt, and a ski mask, which police said matched Pankey’s clothing.
Based on the investigation and witness statements, police placed Pankey under arrest. Officers later reported that Pankey told them he had taken more than 30 sleeping pills about an hour earlier. He was transported to Polk Medical Center for medical clearance before being taken to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office for booking.
