Author: Staff Reports

On August 10, 2024, several officers from the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office responded to Evans Laundry just before 7 p.m. Their reason for responding? A man was at the laundromat taking off his clothes. According to a report from the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office, when the officers arrived, they found David Bennett, 55, who had his shirt off and his shorts down. During the call, Bennett never stated why he was taking off his clothes. By the time Bennett was taken into custody, five deputies were on the scene. Bennett was charged with indecent exposure and transported to the Coffee…

Tuesday morning, ammunition – but no firearm – was found on the campus of Westside Elementary School. Parents were notified of the discovery by Westside administrators. The message sent to parents is as follows: “Today at Westside, some students found a pistol magazine containing several bullets in a trash can in a boys’ restroom. The students immediately took it to their teacher, who notified school administrators and school system police. Following an extensive search of that restroom and others, no weapon was located.“Westside Elementary School and the Coffee County School System are committed to the safety and well-being of all…

An active arrest warrant for fleeing/attempting to elude officers. Illegal drugs. Guns. Cash. This is one of THOSE kinds of stories. On August 7, 2024, county drug unit detectives were on patrol in the city. During the operation, an officer saw Christopher Lamar Hawkins driving a white 2021 Kia Sorento, according to a report from the sheriff’s office. Hawkins had an active warrant for fleeing/attempting to elude from a car chase that occurred on June 26, 2024. He also had a warrant for possession of methamphetamine. A detective stopped Hawkins at the apartments on North Wheeler Avenue, specifically in front…

Late last month, detectives with the Coffee County Drug Unit detained two individuals for allegedly selling Schedule IV drugs out a Woodpecker Trail address. One of the suspects, Hershel Tyre, was arrested and jailed while the other subject, Tim Shatto, was released without being charged. According to a report from the sheriff’s office, after they allegedly sold the drugs – 200 alprazolam tablets – for $400 on July 30, 2024, officers were prepared to apprehend the two. The following day, detectives saw Tyre and Shatto sitting on a bench at Wheeler Park. The detectives detained the suspects and took them…

On August 14, 2024, Andy Jowers, a former custodian with the Coffee County School System, was arrested at Ambrose Elementary School by the School System Police Department based on recent warrants for the sale of marijuana from his home. During his arrest, he was found to be in possession of a small-caliber pistol. He was immediately taken to the Coffee County Jail. In addition to the drug charges, he was charged with carrying a weapon on school property. Mr. Jowers immediately resigned and was booked into the Coffee County Jail. Coffee County Schools are committed to the safety and well-being…

A 21-year-old Fitzgerald man was arrested and charged after he allegedly stole a horse on August 9, 2024. According to a report from the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office, a deputy responded to an Ernest Pridgen Road address in reference to a possible theft. The incident was reported just before noon. When the deputy arrived, he spoke with the victim, who said that his horse had been stolen several days prior. The victim kept the horse at Ernest Pridgen Road property. Several weeks ago, the victim stated that he had spoke with Travis Cockfield, 21, of Fitzgerald, about buying the horse.…

According to a report from the Coffee Sheriff’s Office, Brandon Campbell, 43, of Douglas, interrupted an evening church service on August 11, 2024, after allegedly hitting a woman in the head with a brick. The victim was found nearby with a large gash in her head. The original call came in that a woman had a large cut in her head on Highway 221 North. When a deputy arrived, people who were at a church near the scene flagged him down. They said that while they were having church, an individual identified as Campbell had entered the church “bloody and…

A search warrant served on August 2, 2024, yielded a quantity of cocaine and landed a 40-year-old Douglas man in jail on possession charges. He has since been released. According to a report from the sheriff’s office, drug unit detectives served the search warrant at 601 East Bryan Street. During the search, officers found a quantity of cocaine at the home. The officers determined that the cocaine belonged to Marquayivic Paulk, 40, of Douglas, who was a resident of the home. They arrested Paulk and charged him with possession of cocaine and transported him to the Coffee County Jail. He…

An investigation that began in April ended on July 30 with the arrest of Shameka Latrella Graham, 42, of Douglas, on illegal drug charges. Graham had allegedly attempted to avoid arrest following the April incident and had been successful for nearly four months. Her luck, however, finally ran out. According to a report from the Douglas Police Department, on April 3, 2024, an officer responded to the intersection of Spooner Road and Spooner Court in response to a male subject making statements threatening suicide. A second officer arrived and spoke to the male. The first officer noticed a female walking…

Wednesday afternoon, Dustin Jordan, who pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide in June of this year in relation to a 2019 fatal hit and run accident with a pedestrian, learned of his fate. He was sentenced in Superior Court and received five years’ probation. He will not serve any time behind bars. On a February 8, 2019, Jordan struck and killed Aubrey Pond, 28, on Highway 135 near Optima Chemical. He was on his way to work when the accident happened and he continued to his job, which was at a business located nearby. That afternoon, authorities located Jordan at work…