SHEILA A. MATHEWS :::
Internal Griffin Police Department records indicate an officer covered up a murder by shielding a suspect.
Disciplinary records obtained by The GRIP establish that Sgt. D’Marquivius “D.J.” King deliberately concealed the alleged involvement of his brother, Damon Beck, in the May 9, 2021, murder of Javarreis Reid.
The body of Javarreis Reid, age 25, was found lying in the roadway in the vicinity of 323 N. 5th St. at approximately 1:38 a.m.
Reid, who had been shot, was pronounced dead at the scene.
At the time of Reid’s murder, King was assigned to the GPD Criminal Investigation Division (CID).
A press release issued May 17, eight days after Reid’s murder, said Uniform Patrol Division (UPD) officers heard shots fired in the area of Chappell and Tinsley streets and were attempting to locate the origin of the gunfire when a report of a person shot was received.
“Before officers could determine the locations, officers were dispatched to the area of N. 5th Street where they observed a male lying in the roadway. Officers attempted to render aid to the victim but determined the male had been shot and had succumbed to his injuries,” the press release stated. “Investigators and Crimes scene personnel were summoned to the area and began processing the scene, interviewing witnesses and following leads (sic all).”
However, in the GPD initial incident report, UPD Officer Jonathan Fincher, the officer dispatched to the person shot call, said King was already at the murder scene when he arrived.
“Upon my arrival I activated my body camera and observed that Inv. King was already on scene,” Fincher reported.
Payroll records obtained through an Open Records request indicate King clocked in to work at 5:37 p.m. Saturday, May 8.
He logged 7.73 hours – all overtime.
King then clocked out at 1:21 a.m., 17 minutes before Fincher arrived at the Javarreis Reid murder scene and discovered King was already there.
Because the Javarreis Reid murder case remains open, few specific details beyond that are known.
It is known that King was not disciplined for his concealment of his brother’s alleged involvement in Reid’s murder for more than six months.
A city of Griffin Personnel Action Form shows that King was promoted to the rank of sergeant effective Oct. 18, 2021. This promotion resulted in King’s transfer from CID to UPD, a common practice at the Griffin Police Department.
It was not until after that transfer that King was disciplined.
A written reprimand was entered into the GPD Guardian Tracking system on Nov. 30, 2021.
“On May 9, 2021 Investigator King was responsible for the investigation of the murder of Javarreis Reid. It was determined during the investigation that Investigator King’s brother Damon Beck is involved in the murder. Investigator King failed to notify his chain of command of the conflict of interest and did not list Damon Beck as a suspect on any documentation,” the reprimand, issued by CID Lt. John Hayes, stated.
Although Hayes definitively stated on Nov. 30, 2021, that Beck was “involved in the murder,” warrants for the arrest of Sgt. King’s brother were not obtained until July 2022.
Damon Beck has since been charged with murder and aggravated assault, but as of February 16, 2023, he has not yet been arrested.
Publisher’s note: This is the first in a series of articles related to The GRIP’s investigation of this case.
Please consider financially supporting The GRIP.
The news you find in The GRIP is free for all. You’ll never be hindered by a paywall or limited to only a few articles each month. That’s because knowledge CANNOT be a commodity available only to those with the ability to purchase it.
While the news will always be free for all, it is far from free to produce. That’s why The GRIP needs your support.
Your support will enable The GRIP to continue to provide relevant news in your community and beyond. It’s quick and painless. Just click this link: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=16902623
All support will be greatly appreciated, whether a small one-time donation or recurring monthly gift.
Thank you!
The GRIP 
Leave a Reply