STAFF REPORTS ::: According to Spalding County Sheriff Wendell Beam, a Thursday night disturbance at Ponderosa Mobile Home Park located at 1578 Patterson Road resulted in the arrest of 34-year-old McCormick Randell. Beam reported deputies received a report of the disturbance at 8:34 p.m and their investigation revealed a dispute had occurred between Randell and […]
Dispute between adult male and juvenile female leads to one arrest
Filed Under: Top Stories Tagged With: aggravated assault, arrest, crime, disturbance, Griffin, Ponderosa Mobile Home Park, spalding county, Spalding County Sheriff's Office
Two arrested in GPD search warrant that nets meth, cocaine and prescription pills
STAFF REPORTS ::: The Griffin Police Department Special Investigation Unit and Specialized Response Team along with the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office Special Operations Unit on Wednesday executed a search warrant at 625 Poplar St. The operation took place at approximately 5:10 a.m. and resulted in the recovery of methamphetamine, cocaine and prescription pills. Authorities say […]
Filed Under: Top Stories Tagged With: cocaine, crime, drugs, Griffin, Griffin Police Department, meth, narcotics, search warrant, spalding county, Spalding County Sheriff's Office, Special Investigation Unit, Special Operations Unit
Sheriff’s Office seized, obtained evidence from David Gibson’s personal cell phone without search warrant
SHEILA A. MATHEWS ::: The Grip has learned the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office did not obtain a search warrant prior to seizing, examining and collecting graphic pornographic photographs and text messages from a personal cell phone belonging to former Capt. David Gibson. The photos and messages – obtained in 2014 – were later used as […]
Filed Under: Top Stories Tagged With: David Gibson, Griffin, Internal Affairs, investigation, search warrant, sexual harassment, Sheriff Wendell Beam, spalding county, Spalding County Sheriff's Office
Sheriff: Three men arrested on felony entering auto charges
STAFF REPORTS ::: According to Spalding County Sheriff Wendell Beam, three individuals were arrested Wednesday and are facing felony charges of entering an automobile. Those arrested include Chad Timothy Brown, age 19, of 12465 Highway 109 W. Meansville; Derik Webster, age 18, of 32 Meadowlark Road, Griffin; and Nathaniel Kaide Jewan Johnson, age 18, of […]
Filed Under: Top Stories Tagged With: crime, entering auto, Griffin, Griffin Police Department, Pike County Sheriff's Office, Sheriff Wendell Beam, spalding county, Spalding County Sheriff's Office
Timeline of events surrounding David Gibson’s retirement from Sheriff’s Office
SHEILA A. MATHEWS Publisher’s note: This is the beginning of a thorough timeline examining the circumstances surrounding the Internal Affairs investigation of David Gibson, who on May 21 retired in lieu of termination from the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office. The information contained within this timeline was obtained through dozens of Open Records requests and more […]
Spalding County Sheriff’s Office investigating armed robbery
STAFF REPORTS ::: The Spalding County Sheriff’s Office is investigating an alleged armed robbery that occurred at 10:28 p.m. Monday, July 20, at the Dollar General located at 1523 Zebulon Road. According to Spalding County Sheriff Wendell Beam, an employee walked outside at that time and was confronted by a slim black male wearing black […]
Filed Under: Top Stories Tagged With: armed robbery, crime, Griffin, investigation, Sheriff Wendell Beam, spalding county, Spalding County Sheriff's Office
David Gibson investigation: Court documents differ from Houston Co. Internal Affairs final report
SHEILA A. MATHEWS ::: The petition for declaratory judgment filed in Spalding County Superior Court that resulted in a temporary restraining order (TRO) sealing the Internal Affairs investigative record of David Gibson, former captain of the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) Uniform Patrol Division, differs from information provided to Lt. Ronald Brainard, of the Houston […]
Temporary restraining order voluntarily dismissed in David Gibson investigation
SHEILA A. MATHEWS ::: The temporary restraining order (TRO) that had kept sealed the Internal Affairs investigative record involving David Gibson, former captain of the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office Uniform Patrol Division, has been voluntarily dismissed by the petitioner, Ruby King, who serves as Sheriff Wendell Beam’s secretary. The TRO was granted June 15 by […]
Filed Under: Top Stories Tagged With: David Gibson, Griffin, Johnnie Caldwell, Ruby King, sexual harassment, Sheriff Wendell Beam, spalding county, Spalding County Sheriff's Office, temporary restraining order
Sheriff Wendell Beam, David Gibson served notice of lawsuit; $8 million in damages estimated
SHEILA A. MATHEWS ::: Four employees of the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office – Karen Law, Kimberly Barnett, Jessica Kelley and Misty Piper – have met a statutory requirement by serving legal notice of their intent to sue former SCSO employee David Gibson and Sheriff Wendell Beam, each in their individual and official capacities. Local officials […]
Filed Under: Top Stories Tagged With: anti-litem, Griffin, Internal Affairs, investigation, lawsuit, sexual harassment, Sheriff Wendell Beam, spalding county, Spalding County Sheriff's Office
Investigation substantiates long-term pattern of sexual harassment at Sheriff’s Office
SHEILA A. MATHEWS ::: Publisher’s note: Through an Open Records request to Spalding County, The Grip obtained three months of emails from the accounts of Spalding County Sheriff Wendell Beam, Capt. Tony Ranieri, of the SCSO Criminal Investigation Division, SCSO Records Clerk Amy Martin and Ruby King, Beam’s secretary. This request yielded the 66-page final […]
Filed Under: Top Stories Tagged With: Capt. David Gibson, Griffin, Internal Affairs, investigation, sexual harassment, Sheriff Wendell Beam, spalding county, Spalding County Sheriff's Office
The Grip obtains final report of SCSO Internal Affairs investigation of David Gibson
SHEILA A. MATHEWS ::: Through a series of Open Records requests, The Grip has obtained substantial information, including the final report of the Internal Affairs investigation, of David Gibson, the former captain over the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office Uniform Patrol Division. A 27-year employee of the SCSO, Gibson retired in lieu of termination May 21 […]
Former Sheriff’s Office captain who retired in lieu of termination now the subject of new investigation
SHEILA A. MATHEWS ::: David Gibson, formerly a captain of the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office who most recently served as head of the Uniform Patrol Division, is the subject of a new investigation being conducted by the Spalding County District Attorney’s Office. Gibson, age 51, a 27-year veteran of the Sheriff’s Office, on May 21 […]
Filed Under: Top Stories Tagged With: David Gibson, District Attorney Scott Ballard, GBI, Griffin, Internal Affairs investigation, Sheriff Wendell Beam, spalding county, Spalding County Sheriff's Office
Restraining order obtained to seal recent Internal Affairs investigative record of former S.C.S.O. Capt. David Gibson
SHEILA A. MATHEWS ::: The Internal Affairs investigation of the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office that resulted in former Capt. David Gibson’s retirement in lieu of termination has been sealed by Superior Court Judge Mack Crawford, of the Griffin Judicial Circuit. Upon receiving an Open Records request for this investigative record submitted by The Grip June […]
Vehicle chase enters eastern Spalding County Wednesday evening
SHEILA A. MATHEWS ::: A vehicular chase that began in Butts County made its way into eastern Spalding County just after 5 p.m. Wednesday. The incident began with the Butts County Sheriff’s Office, but as the chase made its way towards Griffin-Spalding County, at least a half dozen law enforcement units – one from the […]
Filed Under: Top Stories Tagged With: Butts County Sheriff's Office, car chase, drugs, Griffin, Griffin Police Department, spalding county, Spalding County Sheriff's Office
County manager’s budget proposal recommends no changes to refuse and recycling centers, denies Sheriff’s request for gang unit funding
SHEILA A. MATHEWS ::: A precursory evaluation of the Spalding County Fiscal Year 2016 budget released today by County Manager William Wilson indicates an overall decrease of 1.69 percent. Two hotly-discussed issues – the future of the county’s refuse and recycling centers and Spalding County Sheriff Wendell Beam’s request for increased funding for the formation […]
Filed Under: Top Stories Tagged With: budget, Fiscal Year 2016 budget, gangs, Griffin, recycling, refuse, spalding county, Spalding County Sheriff's Office, William Wilson
The GRIP 