Author: Staff Reports

A 27-year-old man from Douglas was involved in a fatal traffic accident on U.S. 1 near Hilliard, Fla., Sunday afternoon, according to News4Jax. The outlet has reported that the man, whose name has not been released, was traveling north on U.S. 1 near Hilliard around 6 p.m. on Sunday. The man’s vehicle, a Chevrolet HHR, left the road on the right shoulder and started flipping near a parking lot. Another vehicle was in the parking lot and a pedestrian was close to the other vehicle. The HHR hit the vehicle then struck the pedestrian, killing the pedestrian. The driver of…

A non-fatal shooting that took place just before midnight on May 15, 2024, set off a series of events that led to an alleged courtroom assault and revealed an absconded sex offender from Louisiana. According to a report from the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office, on May 15, 2024, just before midnight, deputies responded to a shooting and stolen vehicle at 3415 Highway 32 West. When officers arrived, they found a victim suffering from a gunshot wound. The suspect, identified as Charles Donnell Beverly, 31, allegedly shot the victim and then stole her 2009 Cadillac CTS. The victim survived and was…

The season didn’t end the way the CCA Patriots wanted it to. Even though the Patriots finished with over 20 wins (22-11), an exit in the second round of the playoffs wasn’t what the CCA faithful expected.  There is, however, a little consolation in the form of postseason awards. Six Patriots made either All Region, All State, or both. All six players are underclassmen and one — Thomas Gentry — is an 8th grader. CCA also had the region player of the year in sophomore Blake Bryant. Here are the All Region/All State selections: Blake Bryant (sophomore) – GIAA Region…

This is a tough way for a nap to end. On Friday, May 10, 2024, a Douglas man was awakened by an Atkinson County investigator after his brother-in-law, identified as Vernon Christopher Royals, 36, of Willacoochee, was involved in a hit and run accident in Atkinson County. The vehicle Royals was driving also belonged to the complainant. Additionally, there were several items in the vehicle that belonged to the complainant as well. Royals had allegedly taken the items from the complainant’s home. According to an incident report from the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office, around 3 p.m. on Friday, deputies responded…

The Coffee Trojans have wrapped up spring practice and have their eyes firmly focused on the 2024 season. But that doesn’t mean that the accolades resulting from a historic 2023 campaign are over. Last week, the Coffee County School System announced that the Georgia Athletic Coaches Association had named Coffee head coach Mike Coe the state 5A and Region 1-5A Coach of the Year. In 2023, in Coach Coe’s second year at the helm of the Trojans, Coffee posted a perfect 15-0 record and won the first state championship in school history. On a post to his Facebook page, Coach…

The GBI has arrested and charged Roger Goddard, age 50, of Douglas, Georgia, with Surveillance Which Invades the Privacy of Another and False Statements. The Coffee County Board of Education Police Department asked the GBI to investigate in Feburary 2024 after someone notified them that Goddard and another person were observed putting a tracking device on a teacher’s car on school property. Goddard was employed as the Code Enforcement Officer for the City of Douglas and was a Georgia POST-certified law enforcement officer. GBI agents took Goddard into custody at the Douglas City Hall without incident on May 16, 2024. …

A fistfight that took place between two employees at a local restaurant between 4 and 5 p.m. on Saturday, May 4, 2024, landed a 29-year-old man in jail on battery charges and a 16-year-old juvenile with possible broken bones. According to a report from the Douglas Police Department, two employees at the restaurant, Darien Brooks, 29, and a 16-year-old juvenile, had gotten into an argument the day before. Brooks stated that the juvenile told another employee “that if he tried him again he was going to pop him.” When Brooks came back to work on Saturday, he stated that he…

Two former Coffee Trojan baseball players saw their seasons end a little over a week ago in Milledgeville at the Peach Belt Conference Tournament. University of North Georgia Nighthawks senior pitcher Wes Lott and sophomore second baseman Brady Skipper finished strong 2024 campaigns and were a factor in helping lead the Nighthawks to the quarterfinals of the conference tournament. For Lott, the conclusion of the 2024 season brings his baseball career to an end. After playing two years at South Georgia State College, he signed with UNG and enjoyed a successful two years in the Peach Belt. For his career,…

After nearly 15 months on the run, fugitive Danny West Jr. is back in jail. On February 25, 2023, West, who was being held in the Ben Hill County Jail, escaped from a funeral in Douglas. He had requested to attend the funeral and Ben Hill County authorities agreed to his request. Coffee County deputies accompanied West to the funeral; however, during the service, he escaped custody and has been on the run ever since. On Wednesday, May 8, 2024, deputies went to a Shirley Avenue address in an attempt to find West. When they arrived, a subject, later identified…

Detectives from the Coffee County Drug Unit arrested a 39-year-old Douglas man when they recognized him as a suspected drug dealer with active warrants while he was riding a bicycle in the Oak Park community. According to an incident report from the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office, on May 1, 2024, detectives saw a man they identified as James Lamar Smith, 39, of Douglas. He was riding a bike on Red Oak Street and officers knew he had active warrants in Coffee County and Ben Hill County. They also suspected that he was selling illegal drugs. They stopped Smith near 1413…