SUPERIOR COURT
A defendant facing charges including aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer was in Jones County Superior Court seeking bond. His motion for bond was denied.
Henry Thomas Redd, 41, was arrested Aug. 9 following a pursuit that involved both the Gray Police Department and Jones County Sheriff’s Department. He was indicted by a Jones County Grand Jury Oct. 10 on charges of fleeing or attempting to elude police officer, aggravated assault on peace officer, possession of a schedule IV controlled substance, possession of drug-related objects, possession of marijuana less than ounce and a misdemeanor charge of driving while license suspended.
Redd was in court Nov. 2, represented by defense attorney Kara Lynn, with a motion for bond.
District Attorney Wright Barksdale represented the state, and Superior Court Judge Alison Burleson heard the motion.
Lynn told the court Redd was asking for a reasonable bond. She said the Aug. 9 arrest started with an attempted traffic stop. She said her client is a former Marine and has been diagnosed with PTSD, depression and anxiety.
The defense attorney said the aggravated assault charge was due to contact with an officer’s vehicle. She stated that the drugs found in the car did not belong to Redd.
Lynn said Redd is originally from Arkansas and was living with family in Milledgeville. She said he is a certified barber instructor, a welder and has a 9-year-old daughter.
She said her client had been in custody for 82 days.
“I believe he is a candidate for bond. I don’t think he is a flight risk. He’s no risk to reoffend and has no previous violent convictions,” Lynn said.
The attorney added that Redd is 100 percent disabled.
Barksdale said Redd clearly has ties to other states and would be a risk to flee.
“He shows a propensity to commit felonies,” he said.
The DA said Redd assaulted Gray Police Officer Lt. Thaxton Pennamon with his vehicle and has a felony conviction in Arkansas. The prosecutor said the defendant also has arrests in Texas and Tennessee.
After listening to the arguments of the attorneys, Burleson said there was a lot to unpack, including the mental health of the defendant.
“Based on what I’ve heard, he is already on bond. Add to that the violence toward law enforcement, and I find he is a danger to the community,” the judge said.
Burleson said she believes he is a significant risk to flee and denied bond.
Original arrest
A report of Redd’s arrest by JCSO Sgt. Kasey Carr stated he was on routine patrol when he was alerted to the lookout for the silver Taurus headed northbound into Gray. Carr said a witness followed the car down Gray Highway into Jones County, and he observed the vehicle with front and rear damage near the bypass.
The sergeant said he turned around and attempted a traffic stop, but the Taurus made a right turn on Clinton Crossing Drive.
The vehicle continued through the parking lot of a business and failed to stop.
Carr said he saw GPD Lt. Thaxton Pennamon come from the opposite direction in an attempt to block the Taurus, but the vehicle increased its speed, struck the GPD patrol car and continued back to Clinton Crossing toward Gray Highway.
The sergeant continued to pursue the Taurus through the bypass intersection and down Gray Highway toward Macon at a high rate of speed. He said the Taurus was on the wrong side of the road.
Carr said he advised dispatch that the driver started throwing items out of the car after passing Landfall at Porter.
He said the driver made a U-turn near Greenwood Road, lost control and ran into a ditch.
The sergeant said he exited his vehicle and held the driver on the ground until backup arrived.
The driver was identified as Redd and taken into custody. A meth pipe was found in the suspect’s pocket, and pills and marijuana were found in the car.
Pennamon’s report stated that he turned around and joined in the chase after hearing Carr state he was in contact with the Taurus.
He said he turned into the parking lot off Clinton Crossing where a former gym was located, meeting the Taurus head-on.
The lieutenant said the driver saw a hole and was able to get through it after striking his car.
