Officer Tahreem Zeus Rana Arrested for Kidnapping, Murder, and Arson

Officer Tahreem Zeus Rana, 23, was arrested at an airport Thursday morning for kidnapping, murder, tampering with evidence, and arson while attempting to flee to Mexico.

Last Friday, Rana met up with a woman named Valencia Woodard, 26, after responding to an ad she had posted.  Woodard had been in Georgia from New York for less than a week, it is likely she moved to be closer to her eight year old daughter who was living in Georgia with her grandmother.

Detective Stephen Cushing reports that Rana picked her up, brought her to a dead end street not even a mile from his house, and shot her repeatedly with his .40 caliber glock issued by the department.

Rana then allegedly set her body on fire to destroy the evidence.  A city worker found her body, still burning, on the side of a road.

The department has issued a statement saying:

“We are shocked and saddened by these developments. The officer has been relieved from duty, and is in a non-enforcement status. Chief Turner will schedule an emergency hearing immediately today to determine the next course of action. We must allow the justice system to run its course. But these clearly are very disturbing allegations that are not in line with the expectations we have for our officers, and will be immediately dealt with.”

“Officers remember him actually walking to school here as a young boy saying when I grow up I want to be a police officer,” said Cushing according to 11Alive.  Psychopathic tendencies start early folks.

The killer cop waived his first court appearance on Friday will remain held without bond until his preliminary hearing, Sept. 12, in Fulton Superior Court.

Former Officer Manuel Williams Sentenced for Child Molestation

DeKalb County prosecutors say a former police officer has been sentenced on child molestation charges.

Officials said Tuesday that former DeKalb County police officer Manuel Williams was sentenced to 10-years and is ordered to serve five of them in detention.

Prosecutors say Williams resigned from the department after he was arrested on molestation charges in 2012.

Officials say Williams is expected to be taken back into custody Friday. Williams have to register as a sex offender and is also ordered to undergo sex offender treatment.

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Previous Story - Arrest

Former Officer Patrick Earwood Convicted on 10 Counts of Child Molestation

Jurors took two hours Wednesday to convict former Cave Spring police officer Patrick Earwood on 10 counts, including aggravated child molestation, in Floyd County Superior Court.

Earwood, 31, faces 25 years to life in prison for aggravated child molestation. Judge Tami Colston is scheduled June 9 to sentence Earwood on all his charges.

“I’m very pleased with the jury’s verdict,” Assistant District Attorney Kay Ann Wetherington said.

Jurors convicted Earwood on two counts each of aggravated sodomy and second-degree child cruelty and on one count each of aggravated child molestation, sexual battery, sexual assault against a person in custody, child molestation, giving false statements and violation of his oath as a public officer.

They acquitted Earwood on one count each of sexual assault against a person in custody and sexual battery.

Peter Odom, Earwood’s attorney, said he respects the jury, adding it’s likely his client will appeal.

“We’re very disappointed in the verdict,” Odom said. “Obviously, the jury did not see things the way we thought they should.”

Jurors found that Ear wood touched or coerced three of four women into sex acts between 2012 and June 2013. They acquitted Earwood on accusations he touched a woman’s breasts in exchange for not taking her to jail for DUI.

Closing arguments

Odom attacked the victims in his closing arguments, questioning their credibility and deriding prosecutors for what he called a lack of evidence.

“Allegations are easy to make,” Odom told jurors. “But in a court of law they’ve got to withstand the acid test of your reasoning.

“I’m going to talk to you about what the evidence is — words,” Odom added. “You’ve got the words of two teenagers and two criminals. That’s it.”

The allegations against Earwood surfaced last June when one of the teens told a friend. Police began investigating, and on July 1 arrested Earwood.

Odom told jurors that the teens initially denied that his client touched them, saying that’s why the younger girl was reticent about testifying.

“She made it up,” Odom said. “She got Sgt. (Teri) Davis all worked up to the point that she made an arrest, and she can’t take it back.”

Odom said the girls’ stories kept changing because they’re false. The two adult women had a reason to lie because they faced potential criminal charges.

One woman admitted she used drugs and has a conviction for giving police false information. The other was stopped for DUI, though her case never reached court, Odom said.

The defense attorney also hammered prosecutors for failing to provide jurors the victims’ phone records. Odom questioned why Davis didn’t get the records between one teen and her boyfriend, and the conversations between both teen victims.

“What physical evidence do you have to support the claims the state is making?” Odom asked. “You’ve got nothing.”

Wetherington dismissed Odom’s arguments, telling jurors the victims’ testimony is the best evidence.

“He had a badge,” Wetherington said of Earwood. “He had a gun. He had a patrol car. He had power. I can only imagine how these victims felt at the time this officer exercised control over them. Instead of serve and protect he chose to molest and assault.”

Wetherington advised jurors against focusing on what she called unimportant details, and instead examine the elements of the crimes.

Three of the victims didn’t live in Cave Spring. The victim who lived in the small town was 14 years old at the time and without parental supervision.

“What has she gained from this?” Wetherington asked. “Nothing. She has nothing to gain. No motive whatsoever.

“This is not a conspiracy,” the prosecutor added. “This is not a coincidence.”

The teen victims know each other, but the adult victims don’t know any of the others. Wetherington called them credible because of that and because she said they told similar stories: that Earwood coerced a sex act from them in exchange for avoiding jail.

“Please be the voice of these girls,” Wetherington said, referring to all four victims. “They’ve got no dog in this fight.”

Officer Matthew McMurray Arrested for Exposing Himself

An off-duty Statesboro police officer caught exposing himself in public was fired at the scene before being taken to jail Wednesday morning, according to a Statesboro Police Department news release.

Officers charged Matthew Kyle McMurray, 27, of Sarah Sorrell Road, with public indecency, Statesboro Public Safety Director Wendell Turner said.

McMurray was taken into custody around 9:50 a.m. Wednesday after receiving a “call of white male exposing himself in a vehicle,” in the parking lot of Statesboro Crossing shopping center on Brannen Street, where T.J. Maxx and Books-a-Million are located, Turner said

When responding officers found McMurray at the scene, he was “off-duty,” Turner said. “Upon arrest, he was immediately terminated.”

Cpl. Justin Samples, the Statesboro Police Department's public information officer, said McMurray had been with the department for less than six months.

Then, officers took McMurray to the Bulloch County Jail, where he awaits further court action, Turner said.

Anyone with information concerning this case is asked to contact the Statesboro Policed Investigations Bureau at (912) 764-9911.

Officer Carlos Antonio Wilson Charged with Kidnapping

An employee of The Medical Center of Central Georgia’s police department was charged Wednesday with multiple crimes after allegedly firing shots at his ex-wife and another man, and later ramming their car.

The Bibb County sheriff’s office said in a news release Wednesday night that 39-year-old Carlos Antonio Wilson is accused of following his ex, 41-year-old Reeshema Wilson, and Hiram Simmons, also 41, while they were driving on Mercer University Drive about 1 a.m. Wednesday.

The sheriff’s news release detailed the encounter:

After Reeshema Wilson and Simmons noticed a vehicle following them, they pulled over at the Food Mart at 4381 Mercer University Drive. Carlos Wilson got out of his 2006 Chevrolet Equinox and started firing a gun at the pair. They drove away, but Carlos Wilson followed them down Log Cabin Drive where he rammed their car at Napier Avenue, causing the cars to wreck.

Carlos Wilson flashed his handgun and pulled Reeshema Wilson from the vehicle about the time sheriff’s deputies arrived. Carlos Wilson fled on foot.

About 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, Carlos Wilson turned himself over to the Southeastern Regional Fugitive Task Force, according to the news release. He was jailed in Bibb County on multiple warrants, including two counts of aggravated assault, two counts of aggravated assault family violence, kidnapping, aggravated stalking, violation of oath of office and possession of a handgun during commission of a felony.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to call the Bibb Sheriff’s Office at 478-751-7500 and ask to leave a message for the on-call investigator.

Detention Officer Keenan Notae Arrested for Rape

A DeKalb County detention officer is behind bars on accusations that he sexually assaulted a woman after getting her drunk, officials said.

Keenan Notae, 24, was arrested Wednesday by DeKalb County police and charged with rape, sodomy and furnishing alcohol to a person under age, authorities said.

On Jan. 14, DeKalb police spokesman Capt. Stephen Fore said he went on a date with a 19-year-old woman and gave her alcoholic drinks.

"She became intoxicated and was sexually assaulted by Notae," Fore said in an email to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Investigators found forensic evidence from the incident that they sent for testing.

Fore said the results authorities received Wednesday "were conclusive enough for detectives to obtain arrest warrants for Notae."

Notae was arrested at his home Wednesday night, police said.

A DeKalb detention officer for three years, Notae is being held at the jail in lieu of $500 bond, according to jail records. He is segregated from the general population, DeKalb County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Cynthia Williams told the AJC.

Notae has also been suspended without pay pending the results of the investigation, Williams said.

He is scheduled to make his first court appearance this afternoon.

Officer George Hall Charged with Violation of Oath of Office

The Sylvester Police Department arrested one of their own officers today around 3 p.m. and took him into custody at the Worth County Sheriff’s office.

Officer George Hall was arrested and charged with violation of oath of office, making false statements, and tampering with evidence.


The release of information regarding this arrest was sent out to media organizations just 20 minutes after Officer Hall was taken into custody.

This case is still under investigation by the Georgia Bureau of Investigations and no other info is being released at this time.

Jailer Bobby Byargeon Arrested for Child Molestation

A Stephens County jailer was arrested Friday and charged with aggravated child molestation, the GBI said.

Bobby Byargeon, 57, of Toccoa, faces 10 charges related to the alleged molestation and was booked into the Rabun County jail, GBI spokeswoman Sherry Lang said in an emailed statement.

On Thursday, the Toccoa Police Department requested the GBI's assistance with an investigation after a victim came forward alleging Byargeon had been molesting them for over a year," Lang said. Byargeon's residence was searched for evidence related to the allegations, she said.

The GBI then obtained arrest warrants for Byargeon, Lang said.

Byargeon has worked as a jailer at the Stephens County jail for seven months, according to the GBI.

Officer Christopher Russo Arrested After Lying About Being Stabbed

“Blame a black guy” excuse never gets old for some people. A former “Officer of the Year” who claimed that he was ambushed and stabbed by two black men during a robbery finally admitted that he totally made up the whole story and is now facing charges…as he should!

A police officer was arrested after making up a story about being ambushed and stabbed by two black males. According to reports by WSB-TV, Clayton County Police Officer Christopher Russo filed a false report with police in McDonough, Ga.

Russo told officers he walked into a burglary in progress at an apartment complex while off duty. He said two men ambushed, punched and peppered sprayed him then cut him with a knife. In the police report, he said the two men sounded like black males.

McDonough police investigated the scene and realized that it was highly unlikely that a burglary took place. After Georgia Bureau of Investigators questioned Russo, he confessed and told them he made the story up and stabbed himself.

Without proper police work, two innocent black males could have been arrested and charged with the assault and stabbing of a police officer.

Russo was arrested on charges of false report of a crime, a misdemeanor and making false statements. He has since been released on bond.

Former Officer Patrick Earwood Charged with Molesting Girls Due in Court

A former Cave Spring police officer accused of molesting girls and forcing women into sexual acts is scheduled for an arraignment next month.

Patrick Edward Earwood, 31, remained in jail Friday without bond. Earwood is scheduled to appear April 11 before a Floyd County Superior Court judge.

Earwood has the option of having his charges read to him at the arraignment.

Prosecutors allege Ear wood coerced girls and women to perform sex acts or expose themselves.

Authorities first learned of the allegations when a girl alleged she rode in Earwood’s patrol car, and that he asked her for sex, police reported.

An investigation began, which led detectives to two different women.

According to an order by Superior Court Judge Tami Colston:

The first woman said Earwood arrested her and took her to City Hall. Earwood then told her he’d free her if she gave him oral sex. When she said nothing, Earwood returned her to his patrol car and began driving to the Floyd County Jail.

“On the way to the jail, Defendant Earwood said ‘are you going to do this or not?’” the order states. “She responded, ‘You know, I’m going to have to do this?’ He said yes and pulled off the road.”

The woman performed oral sex on Earwood, and he then took the woman to meet her mother. She did not go to jail.

The second woman said she encountered Earwood when he arrested her for DUI. Earwood said they could “work something out” if her boyfriend wasn’t in the car. She thought little of the comment, and Earwood took her to the police station for a breath test. When she failed the test, Earwood put her in his patrol car and began driving to jail.

“On the way to the jail, Earwood offered to lower one of the traffic charges if she would let him touch her breasts,” the order states. “She moved up closer to him and he fondled her breasts on the way to the jail.”

Earwood faces two counts each of aggravated sodomy, second-degree child cruelty, sexual battery and sexual assault against a person in custody. He also faces charges of aggravated child molestation, child molestation, giving false statements and violation of his oath by a public officer.

Officer Steven Harrison Charged with DUI

A Forest Park police officer was arrested and charged with driving under the influence and cited for failure to maintain lane in Buckhead on Sunday morning.

According to Georgia State Patrol, troopers were conducting a traffic stop on Old Ivy Road when the officer was arrested.

The officer, Steven Harrison, was taken into custody during the stop.

Officials have not released any other details on Harrison's arrest.

Former Officer Craig Garner Charged with Selling Firearms to Convicted Felon

A 23-year veteran of the Alpharetta Police Department turned himself in Friday to Forsyth County authorities after he reportedly sold guns to a convicted felon.

Craig Allen Garner, 54, has been charged with two counts of party to a crime for selling guns, according to the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office.

“He acquired the firearms for the convicted felon with knowledge he was a convicted felon and he knew he shouldn’t have guns,” said Sheriff’s Maj. Rick Doyle. “They are friends.”

According to Doyle, Garner met Michael Cummings, a 44-year-old convicted felon, on two different days for the gun deal, which involved an assault rifle and 12-gauge shotgun. Both men are Forsyth County residents.

Cummings has been charged with one count of criminal solicitation and two counts of possession of a firearm, according to the sheriff’s office. His previous conviction — on charges of burglary, false imprisonment, aggravated assault and theft by taking — was from 1996 in Union County.

Cummings and Garner were booked at the Forsyth County Detention Center, from where Garner was later released after posting a bond of $22,220.

Cummings is being held without bond because he’s on active probation in Gwinnett and Union counties, Doyle said.

Garner was hired by the Alpharetta department in 1990 after working for the Kennesaw Police Department. Though he once served as a lieutenant in Alpharetta, he was an officer at the time of his arrest for unrelated reasons, said Assistant City Administrator James Drinkard.

Drinkard said Friday that Garner is “no longer an employee of the city as of [Thursday] afternoon.”

“At this time, there is no indication that any of the behaviors that led to the arrest occurred while he was on duty,” Drinkard said. “So at this point, there will not be further action from the city of Alpharetta, unless the investigation turns something up.

“His behaviors are certainly not indicative of the professionals that we have in our law enforcement agency.”

Garner is the founder of the Blue Bloods Motorcycle Club, a law enforcement group that raises funds for charities and awareness and supports the Second Amendment and U.S. Constitution, according to its website.

Reports that Cummings is also a club member could not be immediately confirmed.

Officer Demetrius Kendrick Arrested for Planting Drugs

A DeKalb County police officer turned himself in Friday on accusations he illegally charged a man with having marijuana during a 2012 arrest.

Officer Demetrius A. Kendrick was indicted Thursday by a DeKalb grand jury on the charge of violation of oath by public officer, authorities said.

The man Kendrick arrested, Alphonso Eleby, says video footage showed Kendrick planting drugs before the arrest.

A DeKalb Superior Court judge set a $10,000 bond for Kendrick, who was given 24 hours to turn himself in to the DeKalb County Jail, authorities said.

Kendrick, 33, was booked into the jail Friday around 9:30 a.m., and released on bond just after 10:15 a.m., according to jail records.

If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison, prosecutors say.

In March 2013, Kendrick was placed on restrictive duty, which means he was off the streets, police said. He is now on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of an internal investigation, police said.

Prosecutors say Kendrick, a five-year DeKalb cop, wrongfully arrested Eleby on July 6, 2012, and charged him with marijuana possession even though the officer knew Eleby didn’t have drugs on him.

Eleby’s attorney says Kendrick was caught on videotape planting drugs on Eleby.

On July 6, 2012, Eleby stopped to talk to someone inside a black SUV parked at the Chevron gas station on North Hairston Road.

Police officers claimed they smelled marijuana and arrested the person in the vehicle, according to police reports obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Eleby’s attorney Mark Bullman said his client was detained and strip-searched, but no drugs were found.

Video of the incident shows a female officer stand over Eleby and watch him while other officers search the SUV.

The video shows a male officer Bullman identified as Kendrick call the female officer over to the SUV. While she searches the vehicle, the video shows the male officer circle back to Eleby and toss marijuana next to him.

The video shows Eleby protesting what he sees the officer do and the officer puts him in a choke-hold while other officers look on.

In his report, Kendrick said that while arresting the driver of the SUV, “I observed Mr. Eleby throw a small piece of a green leafy substance behind him.”

Bullman argued that Eleby had no way to throw anything.

“My client had his hands on his knees as he was instructed and all of his pockets were rabbit-eared,” Bullman said. “They’d searched in his crotch and reached inside his underwear and found nothing. Where was he going to hide drugs?”

The DeKalb County Solicitor-General’s office dropped the charges against Eleby in March 2013, but not because of anything on the video.

According to court records, police couldn’t find the marijuana Eleby was accused of having in time to be tested and used at trial.

Police said an internal investigation into Kendrick’s conduct was started early this month.

Bullman lamented what he sees as a delay.

“It is disturbing, at best, that it took almost two years after the clearly unconstitutional and illegal actions of Officer Kendrick for the DeKalb County Police Department to initiate an internal investigation into this matter,” he said. “They have had clear, independent evidence of Kendrick’s crimes for the balance of this time, during which Mr. Eleby was under threat of criminal charges the county knew to be false.

“Nevertheless, we were pleased to learn (DeKalb County Public Safety Director Cedric) Alexander directed that an investigation be initiated.”

Dentention Officer Claude Goines Arrested for Idenity Fraud

A DeKalb County detention officer accused of identity fraud was arrested when he showed up for work, the spokesman for the police department said Friday.

Sgt. Claude Goines, who is assigned to the evening watch shift at the jail, was arrested Wednesday in connection with an ongoing investigation that could lead to additional arrests, DeKalb police Capt. Steven Fore told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

While Fore did not have details of the investigation, Channel 2 Action News reported that Goines is the alleged ringleader in a credit card fraud ring. Goines allegedly made more than 100 fake credit cards and three Ohio driver’s licenses, according to Channel 2.

Police have arrested another alleged member of the ring and are looking for a third, the television station reported. That third person, identified as Ashley Dunlap, was fired from Marlow’s Tavern in Tucker after she allegedly used her position to steal customers’ credit card numbers, according to Channel 2.

Goines, who has been employed with the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office since April 2011, is being held in the Clayton County jail on a charge of identity fraud.

Officer Manuel Williams Arrested for Child Molestation

DeKalb County police on Wednesday confirmed that one of their officers was arrested and charged with child molestation.

It was alleged in a news conference that Officer Manuel Williams, 49, touched the 13-year-old victim while she was visiting his home.

The teen's father reported the incident on Oct. 12, when his daughter told him it happened in September of 2012.

Williams offered his resignation after an investigation was launched.

Williams is charged with one count of child molestation.

"It's very disheartening," said DeKalb County Chief of Police Cedric Alexander. "It's very hurtful for all of us here at DeKalb anytime we have an officer who goes outside of the law."

Williams served 18 years with the DeKalb Police Department, working most recently out of the south precinct.

Sheriff Deputy Andrew Field Arrested

A Bibb County Sheriff's Deputy assigned to the Detention Division was arrested Tuesday. According to a press release from the Sheriff's Office, an internal investigation led to the arrest of 26 year old Andrew Glenn Field. It says investigators arrested field for possession of drugs, crossing the guard line with drugs, and violating the oath of public office. Field is currently being held in the Bibb County Law Enforcement Complex with a bond of $17,100. Field has been placed on suspension with pay while the case is being investigated.

Sgt Jerry Blash Who Filed Ben Roethlisberger Report Resigns

The Ben Roethlisberger sexual assault investigation has led to a Milledgeville (Ga.) police officer’s resignation.

According to ESPN.com, Sgt. Jerry Blash, the only police officer who interviewed Roethlisberger in the investigation, resigned Wednesday following the release of investigation documents to the public. Milledgeville police chief Woodrow Blue confirmed Blash’s resignation Friday.

Blash resigned amid reports that he made negative comments about Roethlisberger’s accuser near friends of the Steelers’ quarterback. In addition, photos released one week after the incident revealed Roethlisberger and Blash together smiling just hours before the sexual assault allegation was made.

Blue stated Blash was involved in the investigation until March 12.

Additional documents released Thursday revealed a 16-year-old told officials that Roethlisberger had made sexual advances toward a friend’s sister, but the woman declined the opportunity to speak with authorities.

The allegations against Roethlisberger continue to haunt the quarterback and the Steelers organization as well.

Roethlisberger could face punishment from the league and from Steelers president Art Rooney II for his actions. The team also could face a six-figure fine as a result of the behavior of Roethlisberger and former Steelers wide receiver Santonio Holmes.

Did Officer Intentionally Strike Bicyclists?

Once a month, bicyclists converge on downtown's Woodruff Park and begin a two-hour ride through city streets. Well documented with helmet-mounted cameras, the ride is called Critical Mass, with the dual roles of good times and raised awareness.

"It is pretty controversial," said cyclist Stephen Toucet.

It's controversial because the bicyclists of Critical Mass routinely block intersections, regardless of whether they have a red light or green light. Called "corking," they say they do it because it keeps the cyclists together and makes the ride safer.

They admit that some motorists find the practice obnoxious and strongly display their annoyance.

Friday evening, they corked the intersection of Peachtree St. and Eighth. One motorist strongly took exception.

"You can't go through a red light if you're a vehicle," the motorist is heard saying on a YouTube video.

The video, shot by cyclist Matt Todd, shows the driver threatening to strike a bicyclist with his car.

"If you don't move, I'll run you over," he said just a few seconds before putting the car in gear, lightly striking a bicyclist.

The driver dares the cyclists to get his license number as he pulls what appears to be a police badge.

"A badge was the last thing I was expecting to see," said Todd. "And when he pulled it out, it was like, OK. You're trying to intimidate us, you're trying to bully us."

"Because he was a police officer, he had the option of pulling us over and giving us a ticket for going through a red light. I totally accept that," said Toucet. It makes his action inexplicable, said Toucet.

Both bicyclists say they want to file a complaint against the motorist -- if he's a police officer, and if they can ever identify him. They never got a badge or license number.
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You Tube Video

Former Detention Officer Denita Shaw Pleads Guilty to Beating Handcuffed Inmate

A former Fulton County Sheriff’s Detention Officer pleaded guilty on Wednesday to a civil rights violation at the Fulton County Jail for beating a handcuffed inmate with a milk crate.

Denita Renae Shaw, 41, of Smyrna, Ga., was a detention officer at the Fulton County Jail. On Jan. 26, 2009, she used excessive force against the inmate and was fired because of the incident.

The felony charge brings a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing is set for May 4.

“The inhumane treatment of persons in custody must cease,” Fulton County Sheriff Ted Jackson said in a prepared statement. “This case continues to show that excessive force and the disregard of policies and procedures at the Fulton County Jail will not be tolerated. When the civil rights of inmates are violated, we will pursue criminal charges and coordinate with federal authorities to prosecute the perpetrators to the fullest extent of the law.”

Former Officer Donald Carr Arrested for Theft

Authorities say the Georgia Bureau of Investigation has arrested a former Madison County investigator on charges of theft by taking, tampering with evidence and violation of his oath of office.

Madison County Chief Deputy Shawn Burns says Donald Glenn Carr is suspected of taking evidence from an evidence locker. Burns says Carr was booked into the Madison County Jail on Monday and released on $10,000 bond.

The Athens Banner-Herald reports that Burns says Carr resigned from sheriff’s office at the end of September, citing personal problems. He says that after Carr left, investigators discovered that evidence from Carr’s cases was missing.

Burns would not say what kind of evidence Carr is suspected of taking.