At one point during the chase, the man jumped into the Etowah River, and it was several minutes before he made his way to the bank and police pulled him out.
Police identified the suspect as 30-year-old Randy Darnell Highfield of Rome.
Rome Police Lt. Paul Greene said Highfield was involved in a shoplifting at Kmart with a second suspect who was booked at the Floyd County Jail around 9 a.m.
Greene said that once the two were caught, Highfield began walking up Turner McCall Boulevard and made it to Advance Auto Parts before he was approached by police.
Highfield allegedly police a false name and two different dates of birth, and took off running, making it down to the river bank behind the auto parts store and jumping into the river.
Greene said that Highfield avoided and refused to follow police commands along the riverbank on Glen Milner Boulevard, and briefly grabbed hold of a rope draped over by Rome firefighters on the Second Avenue bridge. He was finally pulled out of the river on the bank behind River Street.
A police officer slipped on the bank as Highfield was being pulled out of the river and was reported injured. Greene said that the officer did not wish to receive medical treatment after he fell, and appeared to be uninjured.
Highfield has been taken to the hospital with hypothermia, where police will stay with him until he is able to be released and taken to the Floyd County Jail.
He is facing charges for felony shoplifting, felony obstruction, three counts of misdemeanor obstruction and misdemeanor giving false name and two counts of giving false date of birth.
Greene said additional charges may be filed if police find any equipment damaged beyond repair from the incident.
Police did not yet know how much merchandise was taken during the alleged shoplifting.
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