A high speed pursuit that began in the city of Griffin ended in Lamar County with the assistance of the Lamar County Sheriff’s Office.
According to Lamar County Sheriff Brad White, the chase ended without injury to his personnel or the suspects.
“It came down the four lane – 341 – and went up Atlanta Street. It came close to town and took a right on Zebulon Street headed towards 18 west towards Zebulon. Then it took a right on Five Points Road going back towards the four-lane,” White said.
The chase ended when multiple law enforcement officers engaged in the pursuit boxed in the suspect’s vehicle. White was unable to provide any further information pertaining to the suspects or the basis of the pursuit.
“It began in the city of Griffin,” he said. “Griffin (PD) took them back with them.”
He did describe the driver’s demeanor after apprehension as apologetic.
“The guy was very apologetic. He apologized to everyone and said he’d never done anything like that before, but he just didn’t want to go to jail,” White said.
The GRIP sought information about this pursuit from the Griffin Police Department. However, a phone call to Chief Mike Yates and an email to GPD Public Information Officer Lt. Daniel Jett went unanswered.
Additional information pertaining to this incident will be reported when it becomes available.
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Booking photo provided by the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office
Update: The suspect in this case, 23-year-old Shawaltra Horton, turned herself in to the Griffin Police Department at approximately 3:30 p.m. Monday.
STAFF REPORT :::
A Griffin woman, 23-year-old Shawaltra Horton, is being sought in connection with a Sunday night murder.
Horton is wanted for the murder of 32-year-old Cadero Raymond Williams, who police say died as a result of a stab wound.
The Griffin Police Department located Williams when officers responded to a call reporting the attack at 731 Williams St.
Authorities say Williams died soon after officers arrived at the scene.
Warrants for Horton’s arrest have been obtained charging her with felony murder, aggravated assault and aggravated battery.
Horton, who fled the scene, remains at large. Anyone with information pertaining to her whereabouts is asked to call 911 or the Spalding County E911 nonemergency line at 770.991.9911.
Please consider financially supporting The GRIP. The news you find in The GRIP is free for all. You’ll never be hindered by a paywall or limited to only a few articles each month. That’s because knowledge CANNOT be a commodity available only to those with the ability to purchase it. While the news will always be free for all, it is far from free to produce. That’s why The GRIP needs your support. Your support will enable The GRIP to continue to provide relevant news in your community and beyond. It’s quick and painless. Just click this link: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=16902623 All support will be greatly appreciated, whether a small one-time donation or recurring monthly gift. Thank you!
An investigation is underway to determine the cause of death of Marion Paul Minter Jr. whose body was located Sunday afternoon in a wooded area in Spalding County.
Deputies of the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office Uniform Patrol Division responded just after 1 p.m. to the dead end of Pine Street after a report was made to 911 by Timothy Copeland, who stated he had discovered his friend unresponsive.
Upon arrival, Deputy L.E. Smith met with Copeland, who led him to a camp site in the woods.
After determining Minter was deceased, the Criminal Investigation Division was notified and assumed responsibility of the case.
“He has been identified and next of kin have been notified, as well,” said Sheriff Darrell Dix. “He was homeless. He lived in a tent off of Pine Street, at the dead end of Pine Street.”
Dix said the Georgia Bureau of Investigation is assisting in the death investigation.
“There was no indication of any foul play, but when you find a person’s body, you want to find out what happened, so that’s why the body was sent to the Crime Lab for autopsy,” he said.
Please consider financially supporting The GRIP. The news you find in The GRIP is free for all. You’ll never be hindered by a paywall or limited to only a few articles each month. That’s because knowledge CANNOT be a commodity available only to those with the ability to purchase it. While the news will always be free for all, it is far from free to produce. That’s why The GRIP needs your support. Your support will enable The GRIP to continue to provide relevant news in your community and beyond. It’s quick and painless. Just click this link: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=16902623 All support will be greatly appreciated, whether a small one-time donation or recurring monthly gift. Thank you!
Griffin Fire-Rescue Chief John Hamilton was severely injured early Tuesday morning when he was struck by a vehicle.
Hamilton was bicycling in the area of Chick-fil-A on Taylor street when he was hit.
Due to inclement weather, transport by air ambulance was not possible, so he was transported by ambulance to an Atlanta trauma unit.
“They took him to Atlanta Medical Center and the last word I’ve heard is that he’s supposed to have surgery this afternoon,” said City Manager Kenny Smith, who confirmed Hamilton sustained multiple fractures in the incident.
Smith, who gave Hamilton high praise, asked the community to pray for him and his family.
“I don’t know a whole lot about the incident. I was more worried about him, so if everyone would keep him and his family in their prayers. He’s a strong guy and a good guy, so he’ll be all right, but it’s going to be a long recovery, so if everyone would just pray for him,” Smith said. “One of the first messages I got from his wife was that he said he needed his laptop because there were a few things he needed to take care of. I was like, ‘Are you serious?’ But that’s just the kind of guy he is.”
The GRIP has been unable to obtain information regarding this incident from the Griffin Police Department. Additional information will be reported as it becomes available.
Please consider financially supporting The GRIP. The news you find in The GRIP is free for all. You’ll never be hindered by a paywall or limited to only a few articles each month. That’s because knowledge CANNOT be a commodity available only to those with the ability to purchase it. While the news will always be free for all, it is far from free to produce. That’s why The GRIP needs your support. Your support will enable The GRIP to continue to provide relevant news in your community and beyond. It’s quick and painless. Just click this link: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=16902623 All support will be greatly appreciated, whether a small one-time donation or recurring monthly gift. Thank you!
The Tuesday morning vehicular collision that severely injured Griffin Fire-Rescue Chief John Hamilton resulted from a driver running a red light, police say.
According to Officer Scott Collum, of the Griffin Police Department Uniform Patrol Division, 22-year-old Jerry Anya Oruada, of Hampton, was driving a 2006 Honda Civic eastbound on Taylor Street as Hamilton was crossing Taylor Street at its intersection with 16th Street.
Hamilton, an avid bicyclist, was crossing the roadway in the crosswalk when he was struck.
“I made contact with (Oruada) who claimed he was traveling eastbound on Taylor Street in the middle lane which is a straight travel lane,” Collum reported. “He also claimed he had the green light. (Oruada) stated the victim rode his bike out into the street. (Oruada) said he attempted to avoid the victim but could not react fast enough to avoid hitting him and struck the victim.”
Another motorist who witnessed the collision, who was not identified by Collum, was travelling westbound on Taylor Street and reported his light was red but said he was uncertain what color the light was for Oruada.
Collum’s review of available evidence resulted in citations against Oruada.
“I viewed the area and identified the following evidence. The victim and helmet was located almost center of the roadway which would indicated that the victim was struck almost at the halfway point of the crosswalk (sic all). I checked the light pattern of the traffic control devices and if there are no vehicles in the turn lanes then both east and westbound traffic light turn red and green at the same time,” Collum said. “I reviewed camera footage from Chick-fil-A which is located at that intersection. Two of the cameras show the traffic control device that directs (Oruada’s) lane being red at the time of the collision. It also indicates that there are no vehicles in the east or westbound turn lanes and shows traffic in the westbound lane stopped.”
Oruada was cited for failure to obey a traffic control device and failure to yield the right of way in a crosswalk.
Hamilton was transported to the Trauma Unit of Atlanta Medical Center, where he remains hospitalized. Chief Hamilton, who sustained multiple fractures in the collision, underwent surgery Tuesday.
Please consider financially supporting The GRIP. The news you find in The GRIP is free for all. You’ll never be hindered by a paywall or limited to only a few articles each month. That’s because knowledge CANNOT be a commodity available only to those with the ability to purchase it. While the news will always be free for all, it is far from free to produce. That’s why The GRIP needs your support. Your support will enable The GRIP to continue to provide relevant news in your community and beyond. It’s quick and painless. Just click this link: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=16902623 All support will be greatly appreciated, whether a small one-time donation or recurring monthly gift. Thank you!
The Griffin-Spalding County School System (GSCSS) is delaying by two hours the start time for schools Thursday morning, Oct. 29.
This decision was made due to the forecast of high winds associated with Hurricane Zeta.
Data provided by the National Weather Service indicates Spalding County is under a tropical storm warning.
Officials say the decision was made to ensure the safety of students and staff members.
Morning bus pickups will take place two hours later than normal pickup times.
Students and staff will report two hours later than normal reporting times.
All dismissal times remain unchanged.
Please consider financially supporting The GRIP. The news you find in The GRIP is free for all. You’ll never be hindered by a paywall or limited to only a few articles each month. That’s because knowledge CANNOT be a commodity available only to those with the ability to purchase it. While the news will always be free for all, it is far from free to produce. That’s why The GRIP needs your support. Your support will enable The GRIP to continue to provide relevant news in your community and beyond. It’s quick and painless. Just click this link: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=16902623 All support will be greatly appreciated, whether a small one-time donation or recurring monthly gift. Thank you!
The city of Griffin’s downtown Living Centers Initiative design is being revised with the replacement of some its large planter boxes.
“Hill and Taylor (streets) are the only ones being redone,” said City Manager Kenny Smith. “If you’ll recall, one of the planter boxes got hit by a vehicle. They’re just making those radiuses a little bigger for trucks to be able to make the turn without tearing down the flower boxes.”
Smith said the design revision is necessary to prevent future damage.
“I think the Taylor Street one had only been hit once, and the corner of Solomon and Hill (streets) was hit one time, too, but it’s not being changed. But Hill and Taylor (streets), after it got hit, we realized that the turn radiuses probably weren’t big enough for those trucks, so we petitioned GDoT (the Georgia Department of Transportation) to redo the turn radiuses. Because both of those are state highways, we had to get their approval.”
Asked if GDoT had approved the initial design, including the turn radiuses that were insufficient for truck travel, Smith said, “They did. They have to approve everything.”
The GDoT has approved the revised planter box radiuses and Smith is hopeful the work will soon be completed which will allow the project to proceed.
“They just came back to work, I think it was the last few days,” Smith said. “They’re trying to get it done so we can get to paving before it gets too cold for asphalt. The paving is the very last thing.”
In a July interview after one planter box was struck and damaged by a tractor trailer, Smith said the city of Griffin has for years been requesting GDoT reroute State Route 155 and he finds it “absurd” that has not been approved.
Smith then said he anticipated ongoing issues with large trucks travelling through downtown and said that other large vehicles such as fire engines and school buses may also have difficulty navigating the turns. Prior to the decision to revise the planter box placement and size, Smith had suggested those vehicles “be slow and careful” and take alternate routes if necessary.
Please consider financially supporting The GRIP. The news you find in The GRIP is free for all. You’ll never be hindered by a paywall or limited to only a few articles each month. That’s because knowledge CANNOT be a commodity available only to those with the ability to purchase it. While the news will always be free for all, it is far from free to produce. That’s why The GRIP needs your support. Your support will enable The GRIP to continue to provide relevant news in your community and beyond. It’s quick and painless. Just click this link: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=16902623 All support will be greatly appreciated, whether a small one-time donation or recurring monthly gift. Thank you!
Don Hawbaker Feb. 4, 2020, booking photo courtesy of the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office
STAFF REPORT :::
Spalding County Commissioner Don Hawbaker has been indicted by a grand jury on eight felony charges.
The charges relate to a Feb. 4 incident at his Satilla Court residence.
The grand jury today true billed one count of aggravated assault under the Georgia Family Violence Act, two counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime and five counts of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer.
“The Grand Jury process, like many other proceedings, had been delayed statewide due to Covid-19 by order of Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice Harold Melton. Once the holds were lifted and the Grand Jury process could start, our local court system began holding proceedings immediately. That is why there was a delay in this indictment and others,” said Sheriff Darrell Dix. “I served Commissioner Hawbaker with a copy of the indictment and additional counts this morning since he is still in custody in my jail, and he will be booked and processed on those new charges.” Dix said he intends to move forward with a request that Governor Brian Kemp remove Hawbaker from office.
“Now that the indictment has occurred, a copy will be sent to Georgia Governor Brian Kemp by both I and Mrs. Elizabeth Presley who represents the Griffin Judicial Circuit in this case. We will both be requesting that the process for removing Commissioner Hawbaker from public office be initiated in accordance with state law. I will also be forwarding a copy to Investigators with the Georgia Bar to notify them of Hawbaker’s indictment.”
Please consider financially supporting The GRIP. The news you find in The GRIP is free for all. You’ll never be hindered by a paywall or limited to only a few articles each month. That’s because knowledge CANNOT be a commodity available only to those with the ability to purchase it. While the news will always be free for all, it is far from free to produce. That’s why The GRIP needs your support. Your support will enable The GRIP to continue to provide relevant news in your community and beyond. It’s quick and painless. Just click this link: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=16902623 All support will be greatly appreciated, whether a small one-time donation or recurring monthly gift. Thank you!
Present for a press conference on Operation Caged Dove were numerous local law enforcement officials – including Spalding County Sheriff Darrell Dix, Upson County Sheriff Dan Kilgore, Thomaston Police Department Chief Mike Richardson, Fayetteville Police Chief Scott Gray and Fayette County Sheriff Barry Babb – Griffin Judicial Circuit District Attorney Marie Broder, Governor Brian Kemp, Attorney General Chris Carr and GBI Director Vick Reynolds.
Photo credit: Sheila Mathews/The GRIP
SHEILA A. MATHEWS :::
The July 24 murder of 26-year-old Jeffery Ryan Deluca, of Griffin, has been linked to Operation Caged Dove, an extensive criminal street gang operation conducted by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) Gang Task Force with the assistance of numerous local, state and federal law enforcement agencies.
Operation Caged Dove was initiated upon a request by Griffin Judicial Circuit District Attorney Marie Broder, who asked the GBI to take a deep look into connected crimes in Spalding, Upson and Pike counties.
Broder said this year-long investigation was a group effort that was important to her. She said she has seen firsthand the “suffering and evil” criminal street gangs inflict on the community.
“They thrive by targeting those who are often overlooked, promising easy money and often delivering nothing but a criminal record and a lifetime of regret. They are violent criminals that deprive our community of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” Broder said. “But through the hard work of our law enforcement officers who truly came together as a united front to take down these violent gang members and thanks to our governor, who understands the threat that this criminal element poses in our community, we stand ready to send a message to those of you who commit organized crime.”
Altogether, Operation Caged Dove resulted in the indictment of 46 individuals on 96 counts of violating the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization (RICO) Act, 59 counts of violating the Georgia Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act, three counts of trafficking methamphetamine, three counts of trafficking heroin, five counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, three counts of possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, five counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, two counts of financial transaction card fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit financial transaction card fraud, 24 counts of aggravated assault, four counts of kidnapping, four counts of battery, two counts of tampering with evidence, four counts of felony murder and four counts of armed robbery.
Authorities say the operation established that between May 2014 and September 2020, the people indicted by an Upson County grand jury allegedly participated in a pattern of racketeering activity as part of the criminal enterprise known as the Rollin’ 20 Neighborhood Bloods.
Officials allege the Rollin’ 20 Neighborhood Bloods are active statewide, including but not limited to Spalding, Upson, Fayette, DeKalb, Gwinnett, Richmond, Greene, Telfair and Washington counties, and throughout the United States.
Alleged crimes include drug trafficking, assault, theft of money and personal property, conspiracy to assault inmates and recruiting gang members.
Thus far, of the 46 indicted, 25 suspects have been arrested and 21 are identified as fugitives sought by law enforcement. (The GRIP will report more extensively on those indicted, arrested and their individual charges in a separate article.)
Operation Caged Dove was executed with the assistance of agencies including the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office, the Fayetteville Police Department, the Georgia Department of Community Supervision, the Georgia Department of Corrections, the Georgia National Guard – Counter Drug Unit, the Griffin Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations Atlanta, the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office, the Thomaston Police Department, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service – Atlanta Division, the Upson County Sheriff’s Office and the Upson County District Attorney’s Office.
The criminal cases will be prosecuted by the Upson County District Attorney’s Office.
The GBI Gang Task Force is comprised of the Atlanta Police Department, the Georgia Department of Community Supervision, the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations Atlanta, and the Georgia National Guard.
In addressing those involved in criminal street gangs, Broder said, “Don’t come here. The Griffin Judicial Circuit is my home, and it is my hometown. In my opinion, it is the greatest circuit in the state, and as your district attorney, I will do whatever it takes to protect this place that we call home. That is why I have partnered with all of these agencies to bring this case to an Upson County jury. See, over the past several years, I have watched as gangs infiltrate our circuit. It is time to drive them out. Gang members, this is for you. Make no mistake. If you choose to commit crime in the Griffin Judicial Circuit – whether you wield the gun yourself or direct another to wield it in your place, we will prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law. No matter how many miles we must travel, we will find you. Justice will not be denied.”
Please consider financially supporting The GRIP. The news you find in The GRIP is free for all. You’ll never be hindered by a paywall or limited to only a few articles each month. That’s because knowledge CANNOT be a commodity available only to those with the ability to purchase it. While the news will always be free for all, it is far from free to produce. That’s why The GRIP needs your support. Your support will enable The GRIP to continue to provide relevant news in your community and beyond. It’s quick and painless. Just click this link: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=16902623 All support will be greatly appreciated, whether a small one-time donation or recurring monthly gift. Thank you!
The Georgia Bureau of Investigations has been requested to investigate to determine if certain city of Griffin equipment is missing.
Griffin City Manager Kenny Smith requested the investigation approximately two weeks ago.
“We have the GBI investigating some – the possibility – of some missing equipment, not necessarily focused on any one individual,” Smith said.
Smith declined to identify what equipment may be missing.
“I’d rather not say while the investigation is going on,” he said.
When asked if the investigation involves a specific city department or missing funds, Smith replied no to both questions.
“We believe it’s an inventory issue, so we began to look at equipment and look at some inventory and we couldn’t get it to match up, so in an abundance of caution, we wanted the GBI to come in and make sure it’s an inventory issue and not a theft issue,” he said.
He also responded negatively when asked if the issue directly related to the resignation or retirement of any city of Griffin employees.
“I can’t tie any employee resignations to it. Of course, we’ve had employees resign and retire, but I can’t tie any to this investigation,” Smith said.
However, Smith later said the issue came to light through a routine inventory process conducted after an employee retired.
“Any time you have a turnover in employees, especially those who are responsible for inventory, it’s responsible to do an inventory to make sure new employees are starting off with the correct inventory,” he said.
Additional pointed questions related to specific detailed information multiple sources have provided to The GRIP resulted in similar responses.
“I don’t want to comment on the specifics of the investigation at this time. Like I said, we think it’s just an inventory issue that came up after some employees retired. I don’t want to say who’s involved in the investigation at this point while it’s going on,” Smith said. “We believe it’s an inventory problem. We purchase new equipment, we surplus old equipment, we sometimes keep old equipment and use parts off of it, so we feel like it’s an inventory issue but out of an abundance of caution, we asked the GBI to come in and make sure there’s nothing missing.”
Please consider financially supporting The GRIP. The news you find in The GRIP is free for all. You’ll never be hindered by a paywall or limited to only a few articles each month. That’s because knowledge CANNOT be a commodity available only to those with the ability to purchase it. While the news will always be free for all, it is far from free to produce. That’s why The GRIP needs your support. Your support will enable The GRIP to continue to provide relevant news in your community and beyond. It’s quick and painless. Just click this link: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=16902623 All support will be greatly appreciated, whether a small one-time donation or recurring monthly gift. Thank you!
Spalding County voting machines are now functional after an alleged software glitch caused the machines to fail during the early hours of Election Day voting.
Spalding County Board of Elections Chairman Margaret Bentley said a representative of Dominion – the company responsible for Georgia’s new voting machines – was responsible for the software update.
“All I can tell you is Dominion – the company that installed the voting machines – did an update overnight and caused a glitch in the system, and therefore the machines were not working,” Bentley said. “People will be able to vote but some were initially voting using provisional ballots.” Bentley said she read a news report citing “the same thing” in Morgan County. Spalding County Election Supervisor Marcia Ridley could not be reached, but Bentley said Ridley was not notified of the glitch that took down all local voting machines until just before the polls were set to open at 7 a.m.
“I talked to her at probably 7:10 and that was what she called to let me know was going on,” Bentley said.
When asked why the Dominion representative – who has not been identified – would wait until the night before Election Day to update voting machine software, Bentley said, “We do not know. That was an issue we wondered – why in the world would they do it last night?”
She was unable to say precisely how long it took to bring Spalding County’s voting machines back online, but it was more than one hour into the voting day.
An investigator from the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office is in Spalding County investigating the issue.
The GRIP will report additional information on this issue as it becomes available.
Please consider financially supporting The GRIP. The news you find in The GRIP is free for all. You’ll never be hindered by a paywall or limited to only a few articles each month. That’s because knowledge CANNOT be a commodity available only to those with the ability to purchase it. While the news will always be free for all, it is far from free to produce. That’s why The GRIP needs your support. Your support will enable The GRIP to continue to provide relevant news in your community and beyond. It’s quick and painless. Just click this link: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=16902623 All support will be greatly appreciated, whether a small one-time donation or recurring monthly gift. Thank you!
The Pike County Sheriff’s Office is investigating an armed robbery in Concord.
Deputies responded at 9:33 p.m. to the Allen Stop and Shop in Concord where the incident allegedly occurred.
Officials say two black men entered the store armed with a rifle and demanded money from the cash registers. The suspects were wearing masks during the robbery, investigators say.
Both suspects fled the store to a passenger car that was a short distance from the store. The vehicle left the area travelling southbound on Roberts Quarters Road.
The store employees were not physically injured during the incident.
Investigators are asking anyone with information to call 770.567.8431.
Callers may remain anonymous.
Please consider financially supporting The GRIP. The news you find in The GRIP is free for all. You’ll never be hindered by a paywall or limited to only a few articles each month. That’s because knowledge CANNOT be a commodity available only to those with the ability to purchase it. While the news will always be free for all, it is far from free to produce. That’s why The GRIP needs your support. Your support will enable The GRIP to continue to provide relevant news in your community and beyond. It’s quick and painless. Just click this link: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=16902623 All support will be greatly appreciated, whether a small one-time donation or recurring monthly gift. Thank you!
Spalding County polls will remain open until 9 p.m., two hours after Georgia they were scheduled to close, due to what has been described as “a glitch” caused by a software update.
Griffin Judicial Circuit Superior Court Judge Fletcher Sams ruled Tuesday afternoon that polls were to remain open two extra hours after voting machines were nonfunctional in the early hours of Election Day.
In his order that was filed with the court at 5:21 p.m., Sams said, “Polls were to be open November 3, 2020 at 7:00 a.m. for voting in the general election. Because of equipment issues that were not caused by Petitioners and which were beyond the control of Petitioners, all the precincts of Spalding County had outages where voters were unable to vote during periods ranging from 20 minutes to two hours and 25 minutes.”
Sams later stated, “The voters of the precincts of Spalding County have been unfairly deprived of two hours to vote in the November 3, 2020 general election.”
Judge Sams, citing state law, ordered that all votes cast after 7 p.m. must utilize provisional ballots and be held apart from all other provisional ballots cast during normal poll hours.
According to Spalding County Election Supervisor Marcia Ridley, a petition seeking an extension to voting hours was filed in court by two local state representatives as well as a Spalding County poll worker.
“A petition was filed by David Knight and Karen Mathiak and also a poll manager, Julia Howard,” Ridley said. “I’m not sure why she (Howard) didn’t follow protocol. That wasn’t the protocol.”
Howard is the poll manager at Union Baptist Church located on North McDonough Road, Ridley said.
“We just got out of an emergency Board meeting – the Board of Elections – and they voted to follow the judge’s order,” Ridley said. “They said they had no option. It was the first they’d heard of it. No one called this office.” When asked how the Board of Elections learned of Sams’ ruling, Ridley said Spalding County Attorney Jim Fortune contacted members who were present in her office.
All Spalding County voting precincts will remain open until 9 p.m.
Please consider financially supporting The GRIP. The news you find in The GRIP is free for all. You’ll never be hindered by a paywall or limited to only a few articles each month. That’s because knowledge CANNOT be a commodity available only to those with the ability to purchase it. While the news will always be free for all, it is far from free to produce. That’s why The GRIP needs your support. Your support will enable The GRIP to continue to provide relevant news in your community and beyond. It’s quick and painless. Just click this link: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=16902623 All support will be greatly appreciated, whether a small one-time donation or recurring monthly gift. Thank you!
A Griffin man, 22-year-old Leonardo Sanchez, was grievously wounded in a shooting late Wednesday night.
Officers of the Griffin Police Department responded at approximately 9:22 p.m. to 1220 Lake Ave. in reference to a person shot.
Upon arrival, Officer Scott Sierra, of the GPD Uniform Patrol Division, located Sanchez, who sustained a gunshot wound to his right leg and possibly pelvis.
“Sanchez advised me that he was unaware of who shot him and that he saw someone in a ski mask in his front yard then heard shots,” Sierra reported.
Alexis Carroll, Sanchez’s girlfriend, reported she was working on their new house when she heard approximately four or five shots fired.
“Carroll advised me after the shots she was yelling to make sure Sanchez was okay and that (sic) when she noticed he was shot,” Sierra said. “Carroll stated she did not see anyone before or after the shots since she was in the back of the house.”
Diego Sanchez, the victim’s brother, said he did not witness the shooting, but said he believes someone came from the wood line and ran back in that direction. Officials say three men were seen running from the scene after the shooting and investigators are following leads to identify them.
A nearby surveillance camera did not show any activity in the roadway immediately prior to the shooting.
Sanchez was transported by helicopter to the Atlanta Medical Center Trauma Unit. He remains hospitalized in stable condition.
Anyone with information related to this incident should contact the Griffin Police Department Criminal Investigation Division at 770.229.6450.
Please consider financially supporting The GRIP. The news you find in The GRIP is free for all. You’ll never be hindered by a paywall or limited to only a few articles each month. That’s because knowledge CANNOT be a commodity available only to those with the ability to purchase it. While the news will always be free for all, it is far from free to produce. That’s why The GRIP needs your support. Your support will enable The GRIP to continue to provide relevant news in your community and beyond. It’s quick and painless. Just click this link: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=16902623 All support will be greatly appreciated, whether a small one-time donation or recurring monthly gift. Thank you!
A social media post in support of President Donald Trump led to a violent fight and left one man critically wounded with multiple stab wounds, officials say.
The incident occurred at approximately 8:30 p.m. Nov. 3 – election day – in Thomaston.
Officers of the Thomaston Police Department responded at 8:40 p.m. to the Big Chic located at 222 Barnesville St., where 19-year-old Jaylan Harris, age 19, was located in the parking lot with multiple stab wounds.
TPD officers and Upson County Sheriff’s Office deputies rendered aid to Harris pending the arrival of emergency medical services personnel. Other law enforcement officers secured the scene and began identifying witnesses.
Investigators now say the fight that resulted in Harris’s wounds occurred in the yard of 216 Beal St., where a large crowd had gathered behind Big Chic. They say Harris was moved to the restaurant’s parking lot after he was stabbed and prior to the arrival of the law enforcement.
The crime scene was expanded to include the residence at 216 Beal St., and several individuals at that location were detained.
Authorities say the preliminary investigation has determined that Harris had allegedly created a social media post in support of President Donald Trump. Investigators allege that post led to a social media dispute involving multiple people and ultimately lead to a physical altercation between the victim and multiple attackers.
During this altercation, the victim was stabbed multiple times.
Investigators obtained a video of the assault which they say was filmed by a bystander.
Three suspects were identified and have been arrested including 19-year-old Salvalas Everett, 17-year-old Jamiricale Everatt and 20-year-old Deshawn Barkley.
All three suspects are Thomaston residents and have been charged with aggravated assault and are being held in the Upson County Jail.
Harris was initially transported by ambulance to the emergency room of Upson Regional Medical Center and was subsequently transported to Macon Medical Center by air ambulance where he remains in stable condition.
Additional arrests and charges are expected pending further investigation. Anyone with information related to this incident is asked to contact Lt. Brian Hammock with the Thomaston Police Department Criminal Investigation Division at 706.647.5455.
Please consider financially supporting The GRIP. The news you find in The GRIP is free for all. You’ll never be hindered by a paywall or limited to only a few articles each month. That’s because knowledge CANNOT be a commodity available only to those with the ability to purchase it. While the news will always be free for all, it is far from free to produce. That’s why The GRIP needs your support. Your support will enable The GRIP to continue to provide relevant news in your community and beyond. It’s quick and painless. Just click this link: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=16902623 All support will be greatly appreciated, whether a small one-time donation or recurring monthly gift. Thank you!
Spalding County Crime Scene Investigator Jennifer Michel, right, and Lt. Nick Bruce on Thursday night collect the contents of a dumpster in the Spalding County Elections and Voter Registration Office parking lot. Photo credit Sheila Mathews/The GRIP
SHEILA A. MATHEWS :::
Spalding County Sheriff Darrell Dix has confirmed what The GRIP report Thursday night – that no ballots were found among the documents and other paperwork located in a dumpster in the Spalding County Elections and Voter Registration parking lot.
The Sheriff’s Office on Friday issued a press release in response to what it referred to as “a great deal of bad information, misinformation, rumor, and gossip” regarding Thursday’s events.
An SCSO supervisor first responded to the Elections and Voter Registration Office regarding a complaint alleging observers were being denied access to the office. The supervisor document that complaint in an incident report.
The complainants were further instructed to contact the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office and told the incident report would be made available to them.
The supervisor reported everyone with whom he spoke was very peaceful and understanding, Dix said.
A short time later, the SCSO supervisor and Griffin Police Department officer returned at the request of Election Office staff to escort employees to their vehicles.
According to Dix, the was no incident and all was peaceful.
Deputies responded later to a third call reported election paperwork that had been found in a dumpster in the parking lot.
The same supervisor responded to the scene and contacted Dix, telling the Sheriff that paperwork was in the dumpster as had been reported.
“At that point I told him to clear the people from around the area of the dumpster, block off the area with crime scene tape, notify our on-call investigator and crime scene investigator and have them respond to the scene. When they arrived, on my orders, they photographed and documented the
dumpster, its contents, and the area around it,” Dix stated. “They then bagged the entire contents of the dumpster, loaded it into a truck, and transported the contents to the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office where it was secured under lock and key. We allowed anyone on scene that wanted to follow the truck transporting the materials to the Sheriff’s Office to do so, and some did.”
Dix also instructed deputies to go to all 18 Spalding County polling locations and check dumpsters and trash receptacles for any election related documents.
No such documents of elections materials were found at any of the 18 polling locations, Dix said.
Local and state investigators on Friday morning thoroughly examined in full the contents removed from the dumpster.
“This morning at approximately 9:00 a.m., an investigator from the Secretary of State’s Office arrived at the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office, and along with my crime scene investigators and criminal investigators. While I was standing with them, they went through each bag, documenting and photographing what was found,” Dix stated. “The contents of those bags will be secured at the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office until further orders from the Secretary of State’s Office.”
Dix addressed the method used to secure, remove and store the records as well as the contents themselves.
People present in the parking lot were asked to step away from the dumpster and immediately complied, Dix said. Deputies then placed crime scene tape around the area to secure the dumpster until its contents could be removed by a crime scene investigator. Multiple deputies remained on scene while this process was taking place.
Dix said no one at the Election Office Thursday night found ballots in the dumpster, and no ballots were located in the dumpster’s contents when examined by Secretary of State of SCSO investigators
“What was found were empty envelopes that were used to mail ballots to the Election’s Office,” Dix said. “Those envelopes are marked ‘Ballot.’ Each had been opened and they were all empty.” Furthermore, Dix confirmed the dumpster’s contents did include documents – not ballots – that for security reasons were “improperly disposed of.”
Dix reiterated that at no time was there “an angry mob” as some have described on social media.
No arrests were made, and the investigation has been turned over to the Secretary of State’s Office, Dix said.
“These are facts, not rumors allegations, misinformation, or gossip. Since last night I have been contacted by local and State officials regarding this incident as well as local and state level community groups,” Dix said. “I have kept them abreast of any updates regarding this incident and the allegations surrounding it. I will continue to do so if further incidents occur.”
Please consider financially supporting The GRIP. The news you find in The GRIP is free for all. You’ll never be hindered by a paywall or limited to only a few articles each month. That’s because knowledge CANNOT be a commodity available only to those with the ability to purchase it. While the news will always be free for all, it is far from free to produce. That’s why The GRIP needs your support. Your support will enable The GRIP to continue to provide relevant news in your community and beyond. It’s quick and painless. Just click this link: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=16902623 All support will be greatly appreciated, whether a small one-time donation or recurring monthly gift. Thank you!
Two Griffin High School students are facing multiple criminal charges – including one felony each – after a Thursday afternoon incident involving officers the Griffin Police Department.
GPD Cpl. Chris Webb responded to GHS upon the request of Assistance Principal Dr. Douglas Wheeler, who reported a student causing a disturbance.
“Wheeler was attempting to get a female to give him her information so that he could do a report. Wheeler asked me to assist in getting the female’s information. I asked the female several times to identify herself as she did not,” Webb reported.
According to Webb, the female student, later identified as 18-year-old Jamya Henry, continued to refuse to cooperate, became irate and began using profanity.
“I advised the female that she needed to give me her ID or tell me her name as she still refused and walked away from me while I was still trying to investigate the situation,” Webb said. “After several attempts I advised the female that she was under arrest for obstruction as she continued to refuse to cooperate with me.”
Webb said that a second student then intervened in the situation.
“As I attempted to arrest the female (Henry) a black male stepped in front of the female and would not move. I advised the male several times to move as he did not,” Webb said.
Webb then requested additional officers respond to GHS to assist, citing the male student’s hinderance.
“Upon the arrival of other units an attempt to arrest the female resulted in a fight with the unknown male and female. The male subject punched one of the officers responding as he was taken to the ground,” Webb stated.
Henry and the juvenile male student, who authorities have not identified, were transported to the Griffin Police Department and charged with disorderly conduct, felony obstruction of a law enforcement officer and disruption of a public school.
Webb cited the felony level charge was due to an injury Henry inflicted on Officer Scott Collum. Webb also reported he was injured during this incident. The GRIP has requested additional reports related to this incident but they have not yet been made available. Additional information related to this incident will be reported as it becomes available.
Please consider financially supporting The GRIP. The news you find in The GRIP is free for all. You’ll never be hindered by a paywall or limited to only a few articles each month. That’s because knowledge CANNOT be a commodity available only to those with the ability to purchase it. While the news will always be free for all, it is far from free to produce. That’s why The GRIP needs your support. Your support will enable The GRIP to continue to provide relevant news in your community and beyond. It’s quick and painless. Just click this link: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=16902623 All support will be greatly appreciated, whether a small one-time donation or recurring monthly gift. Thank you!
Booking photo provided by the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office
SHEILA A. MATHEWS :::
Spalding County Code Enforcement Officer Steven Arnold was on Saturday arrested after a standoff at his residence involving the Griffin Police Department SWAT Team and Uniform Patrol Division personnel.
Police initially responded to Arnold’s Sylvan Lane residence in response to a 911 call reporting a suicide threat. The caller, later identified as Misty Arnold, Steven Arnold’s wife, also told 911 dispatchers her husband was sitting on the back porch and armed.
Under the direction of Officer Phillip Johnson, Misty Arnold and her children safely exited the residence. She then called her father-in-law, Mike Arnold, who was upstairs in her home, and he safely exited, as well.
Officer Jeff Gauldin reported that Misty Arnold said she and her husband had a verbal altercation after which Steve Arnold threatened there would be a standoff with police if they came to their residence.
“Mrs. Arnold stated to me that a verbal altercation had occurred after she confronted her husband Steven Arnold, that he had been drinking alcohol to heavily, and that it occurs quit (sic) often,” Gauldin said. “She stated at that time that Mr. (Steven) Arnold, who works for Spalding County Code Enforcement, had placed his service weapon under his chin, and threaten to shot himself (sic all).”
According to Gauldin’s report, Misty Arnold said she asked her husband, “Are you going to do this with our kids in this house?”
She advised officers that in addition to an unidentified handgun, her husband also had his work radio with which he could monitor police radio traffic.
Sgt. Sam Jones arrived at the scene and notified Capt. Mike Natale and the SWAT Team of the situation.
A perimeter was set up around the residence to observe any activity.
“A short time later, Ms. Michelle Irizarry arrived at my location, and at the time Mrs. Arnold screamed, stating ‘I don’t want that b*tch her, she is the reason for all this… (sic all),” Gauldin said in reporting Misty Arnold alleged Irizarry was involved with her husband.
Jones instructed Irizarry to leave the residence.
Soon after, a co-worker of Mr. Arnold arrived and told police he had called Steven Arnold several times but his calls had been unanswered.
“A short time later, Mr. (Steven) Arnold called his coworker, and stated to him that he was no longer at the residence,” Gauldin said. “About 30 minutes had past Sgt. Jones had received a call from 911 Dispatcher informing him that Ms. Irizarry had picked up Mr. Arnold from the area of Crescent Rd. Elementary and had taken him to the residence of William Wilson, who is the County Manager (sic all).”
Gauldin soon learned Irizarry had driven Steven Arnold to Spalding Regional Hospital for evaluation by medical personnel.
Gauldin said he later observed the suspect aggressively confronting another GPD officer.
“Upon my arrival, I observed Mr. (Steven) Arnold standing toe to toe in front of Off. Astyk face yelling and screaming at him saying ‘what the f*ck you going to do, you wanna lock me the f*ck up don’t you, go head and lock me up (sic all),’” Gauldin stated, adding that Steven Arnold appeared to be “highly intoxicated,” and was using “obscene and vulgar language,” all of which was observed by others present at the hospital.
Steven Arnold was taken into custody and charged with terroristic threats, disorderly conduct and public drunkenness.
GPD officers then questioned Irizarry, asking why she did not notify police she had contacted the suspect.
According to Gauldin, Irizarry said that she is Spalding’s assistant county manager and Steven Arnold’s “boss,” and that she did not know the protocol.
“I informed her that officers was still on the scene thinking Mr. (Steven) Arnold was in the residence, and other residents was unable to leave their homes for safety reasons (sic all),” Gauldin said, adding that Natale also attempted to explain the seriousness of officers being unaware Irizarry and her 22-year-old daughter, Brittany, had picked up the suspect.
In a later interview, Wilson said Steven Arnold is no longer a Spalding County employee.
“Mr. Arnold sent in a letter of resignation Saturday afternoon. He submitted an email message at 7:42 p.m. on Saturday,” Wilson said. “I think this incident happened after that.” Wilson also confirmed an investigation is being conducted by Spalding County Human Resources Director Miles Neville.
“To my knowledge, there may still be an ongoing investigation with the city of Griffin,” Wilson said. “As for the county, she is at work and HR is investigating the situation.”
When asked the basis of Neville’s investigation, Wilson said, “I assume you have read the city of Griffin reports. There was a statement in there made by the wife of Steven Arnold.”
Asked if the Human Resources investigation will delve into Gauldin’s allegation that Irizarry interfered in a SWAT standoff and police investigation while citing her official capacity as assistant county manager, Wilson said, “That one, like I say, would be the city investigating that one. We’re not police, so I don’t know.”
Wilson later elaborated stating, “Like I said, there are several things in those statements that we are looking into and it’s currently under investigation, and that’s really all I should say, Sheila.”
The GRIP will continue to follow these investigations and report additional information as it becomes available.
Please consider financially supporting The GRIP. The news you find in The GRIP is free for all. You’ll never be hindered by a paywall or limited to only a few articles each month. That’s because knowledge CANNOT be a commodity available only to those with the ability to purchase it. While the news will always be free for all, it is far from free to produce. That’s why The GRIP needs your support. Your support will enable The GRIP to continue to provide relevant news in your community and beyond. It’s quick and painless. Just click this link: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=16902623 All support will be greatly appreciated, whether a small one-time donation or recurring monthly gift. Thank you!
The election day malfunction of Spalding County voting machines was not caused by a software update as officials previously cited.
Spalding County Election Supervisor Marcia Ridley on Thursday night confirmed the original information provided to her office and the Spalding Board of Elections was incorrect.
The erroneous information was reported to local officials by Dominion Voting Systems, the company responsible for Georgia’s new voting machines.
“They (Dominion) said that they ran the data and it showed that nothing was updated in the middle of the night. It was updated like it should have been after early voting. It was updated on Oct. 31 as it should have been. Now they’re trying to investigate the glitch,” Ridley told The GRIP. “The person who worked for them misspoke. I think that person who said that was new because they were hiring a lot of people, and she misspoke. A representative for Dominion misspoke.”
The glitch that resulted in the malfunction of voting machines at all 18 Spalding County voting precincts is also under investigation by the Secretary of State’s Office.
“Dominion is investigating, and the Secretary of State is talking to Dominion, too. I’m sure they have forensic ways to determine what happened, what caused the glitch,” Ridley said.
Internally, Ridley said she and the Board of Elections are looking into claims that alleged Spalding County precincts were shut down for a period on election day morning.
A court petition was filed by Karen Mathiak and David Knight, local state representatives, resulting in a court order being issued by Griffin Judicial Circuit Superior Court Judge Fletcher Sams requiring polls to remain open until 9 p.m.
“We are looking into what happened with the two hours that allegedly weren’t open due to a shutdown. I do want to keep saying that because it’s not true,” she said of allegations that precincts were not open at any point from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. election day. “We don’t know who, but somebody got that started. Somebody started a false allegation. The Board heard about it (the court order) at the same time everyone else heard it and that’s not protocol.”
Ridley emphatically denies that any Spalding poll was closed during state mandated voting hours.
“We had an order to open up. We have dismissed that we had to (remain) open because we were shut down for two and a half hours, so they’re looking into that and how all of that came about. Whatever it was, the protocol was not met.”
Although the investigation into the cause of the voting machine malfunction remains ongoing, Ridley said steps will be taken to address potential problems in the future.
“We have a new workaround. We’re going to do some additional training. That training is going to add an extra component in case unforeseen technical issues arise. If there’s a message we’ve never seen before in training, that sort of thing. We’ll be talking about that and what we’ll do to help mitigate it is give them more information, like if there’s an access code the technician uses for the precinct, I want them (the poll manager) to have it, too,” Ridley said. “Also, rather than having one (supervisor’s) card per precinct, I want to have ten. It’s going to be more refined in terms of technical issues. We have training on minor technical stuff but not on what to do if a card doesn’t read. That’s the kind of training that should be going on. I’ll be doing some additional training with the poll managers, so that if we come across something like this again, we’ll be better prepared.”
Ridley maintains the performance of her staff and poll workers while also acknowledging the need to prepare for any potential problems. “We did a great job, but we’ve learned that with computers, anything can happen,” she said. “We’re in the computer age – a technological age – and we have to be prepared to answer these problems.”
Please consider financially supporting The GRIP. The news you find in The GRIP is free for all. You’ll never be hindered by a paywall or limited to only a few articles each month. That’s because knowledge CANNOT be a commodity available only to those with the ability to purchase it. While the news will always be free for all, it is far from free to produce. That’s why The GRIP needs your support. Your support will enable The GRIP to continue to provide relevant news in your community and beyond. It’s quick and painless. Just click this link: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=16902623 All support will be greatly appreciated, whether a small one-time donation or recurring monthly gift. Thank you!
The Griffin-Spalding County Board of Education on Tuesday appointed Dr. Donald Warren as interim superintendent.
Warren, who serves as executive director of secondary education, will begin his role as interim superintendent Dec. 1 and will hold that position until the hiring process concludes, and a new superintendent is in place.
As executive director of secondary education, Warren supervises all middle and high school principals along with career and technical education. He also works with the middle and high school counselors.
He came to the GSCSS after serving for five years as the director of curriculum and instruction and director of learning and leadership for the Henry County School System.
Warren spent most of his career in the Houston County School District as a high school mathematics teacher, assistant principal at the elementary and middle school levels and principal of Warner Robins Middle School. in Warner Robins.
He earned Doctor of Education and specialist degrees in Educational Leadership from the
University of Georgia, a master’s degree in Educational Administration and
Supervision from Georgia College and State University and a bachelor’s degree in
Mathematics and Computer Information Systems from Georgia Southwestern State
University.
For additional professional development, Warren completed Harvard University’s National Institute for Urban School Leaders in the School of Graduate Education, and programs such as the Planning, Funding and Budgeting Institute, the District Office Professional Development Program and the Superintendent’s Professional Development Program from the Georgia School Superintendent’s Association.
Warren’s appointment as interim superintendent follows the retirement of Jim Smith, who served as superintendent since 2015.
Please consider financially supporting The GRIP. The news you find in The GRIP is free for all. You’ll never be hindered by a paywall or limited to only a few articles each month. That’s because knowledge CANNOT be a commodity available only to those with the ability to purchase it. While the news will always be free for all, it is far from free to produce. That’s why The GRIP needs your support. Your support will enable The GRIP to continue to provide relevant news in your community and beyond. It’s quick and painless. Just click this link: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=16902623 All support will be greatly appreciated, whether a small one-time donation or recurring monthly gift. Thank you!
