The following information is gleaned from incident reports, which are public record, from the Jones County Sheriff’s Department and Gray Police Department Nov. 22-26, 2023.
Nov. 22
Caught on Flock Camera
Deputy Marcum was monitoring traffic on Gray Hwy. when he received a notification from a nearby Flock Camera that showed a vehicle with expired registration. Marcum observed the vehicle on Gray Hwy. near Old Macon Road and activated his blue lights to conduct a traffic stop. When the deputy made contact with the driver, he could immediately smell the scent of marijuana emitting from the vehicle. At that time, the male driver advised Marcum that there was a Taurus 9mm in a backpack located in the vehicle. Marcum had the male driver exit the vehicle and Deputy Hall arrived on scene to assist with a vehicle search. Prior to Marcum beginning the vehicle search, the male driver told the deputy that there were also several small bags of marijuana in the middle console inside the vehicle.
Marcum advised the male subject that he would be under arrest for simple possession and then transported the male to the Jones County LEC where he was released to jail staff.
Nov. 26
Two subjects taken into custody
Deputy Elrod was dispatched to a residence in reference to a complainant stating that she was having a party and being harassed by a male subject. When Elrod arrived, he spoke to the female complainant, and she advised the deputy the male subject was asked to leave her residence then went to his house and began firing off a gun in the yard.
Two more female complainants met with Elrod and advised the deputy the male subject was also making harassing comments to them, and they also advised the male subject had been drinking. The three females stated that the male subject returned to the residence where the party was with a “big black rifle” and attempted to force his way into the front door. The complainants advised the deputy they were able to slam the door shut, but the male’s hand and boot got stuck in the door and they thought they had shut his hand in the door. The three females gave the deputy a description of the male and the clothes he was wearing.
Elrod retrieved his patrol rifle from his vehicle based on the information received from the complainants and due to the fact, the male subject may be armed. Elrod asked for Deputy Astyk to assist and to bring his patrol rifle as well upon his arrival. Elrod maneuvered into a position where he could see the male’s residence, and he observed a male subject walking out the front door of the house. The male was wearing the same clothes as the female complainants had advised Elrod. The male’s hands were empty, and he had no sign of a firearm on his person. Elrod ordered the male to come to him and get down on his knees and face away from the deputy.
The male subject did as asked by the deputy. Elrod asked the male if there was anyone else inside the residence and the male advised there were only some of his family members. Elrod did not detain the male subject at the time so he could investigate what was going on. The deputy asked the male subject what occurred at his neighbor’s residence and the male began to ramble and stated that he was just “tired of people turning around in his yard.” Elrod asked the male if he had fired off a firearm at his house and the male subject denied having a firearm and denied shooting a firearm. Astyk arrived at the residence and began to look around the yard and the house and found a spent shell casing from a 12-gauge shotgun on the back porch of the male subject’s house. At that time, a female family member came outside for a few moments and then immediately returned back inside the house. Elrod asked the male subject again if he had fired a gun and he continued to deny any involvement in firing a weapon of any kind. Elrod noticed that the male subject would not remain still and kept trying to move away from the deputy becoming increasingly defiant and noncompliant. The male subject continued to keep attempting to move toward the house after being told multiple times to remain still so an investigation could be done, so Elrod detained the male in handcuffs. While continuing to investigate the incident, the deputies and the male relocated closer to the front porch of the male’s house.
Dep. Astyk returned to the back porch where they had initially found the shotgun shell, and it was gone. Astyk asked for the female family member to come back outside and speak to him. The female admitted to moving the shotgun shell to the inside of the residence. While standing near the front porch, Astyk noticed four more 12-gauge shotgun shells laying in the vicinity of the steps of the front porch that matched the same type of shell he had seen on the back porch and collected them for evidence. Sgt.
Humphries had also arrived on scene to assist. The male subject was asked for consent to be able to go inside the residence and look for the shotgun.
The male subject denied the request.
Sgt. Humphries then made a call to Inv. Crystal Murphy, the on-call investigator, to advise of the situation and ask if she could secure a search warrant for the residence to look for the firearm. Murphy was able to secure the search warrant of the residence to search for the firearm believed to be used and any other evidence that may be associated to the crime being investigated to also include any electronic communication devices believed to have any connection to the crime. Elrod began a search of residence and found multiple shotgun shells in the trash can in the kitchen that matched the ones that were located on the front porch.
No firearm was located inside the residence. The search of the inside of the residence was concluded and Inv.
Murphy and Dep. Elrod relocated to search the exterior of the home and the vehicle that was registered to the male subject. Dep. Astyk was also conducting a search of the outside of the home and located a black pump action shotgun with a box magazine laying on top of the roof near the back porch. There was one remaining shell in the box magazine that matched the shells found near the front porch and in the kitchen trash can. The female family member was taken to the Jones County LEC and booked for tampering with evidence. The male subject was also taken to the Jones County LEC and booked for criminal attempt to commit home invasion, reckless conduct and obstruction of law enforcement for hindering the investigation by concealing the firearm.
