SHEILA A. MATHEWS ::: Officials of the Griffin Police Department say all four Griffin High School students videotaped fighting in a boy’s restroom Monday, Dec. 7, were voluntary participants. According to Lt. Mike Natale, of the Office of the Chief, the four GHS students fought over a false allegation of stolen shoes. He said the […]
GPD: GHS “shoe” fight was not unprovoked attack
Filed Under: Top Stories Tagged With: Burglary, fight, Griffin, Griffin High School, Martinius Carr, robbery, shoes, spalding county, YouTube, zero tolerance
GBI declined Sheriff’s request to investigate, identify The GRIP’s confidential source
SHEILA A. MATHEWS ::: The GRIP has confirmed that the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office on Nov. 30 requested the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) conduct a criminal investigation to identify a confidential source who has provided information to this publication. Following the receipt of information from a confidential source, The GRIP has since Sept. 30 […]
GPD search warrant nets four arrests
SHEILA A. MATHEWS ::: The Griffin Police Department Special Investigations Unit, with the assistance of the Power Squad and Uniform Patrol Division, on Friday, Dec. 11, executed a search warrant resulting in four arrests and the seizure of narcotics. The warrant was executed at 362 N. 19th St. Apartment G in the Pleasant Valley Apartments. […]
Filed Under: Top Stories Tagged With: Agent Travis Wick, Griffin, Griffin Police Department, narcotics, search warrant, spalding county, Special Investigations Unit
Three victims of fatal Saturday night fire identified
SHEILA A. MATHEWS ::: Three Griffin residents lost their lives Saturday night in a residential structure fire at 220 Day St. According to Griffin Fire-Rescue Chief Tommy Jones, fire units arrived on the scene at approximately 10:05 p.m. and found the home fully-involved with flames showing through the roof. Spalding County Coroner Sonny Foster has […]
Filed Under: Top Stories Tagged With: Andrew Foster, Chief Tommy Jones, fatal fire, Griffin, Griffin Fire-Rescue, Griffin Police Department, Mary Fears, spalding county, Terry Jones
Sheriff’s Office narcotics operation raises questions: Part II
SHEILA A. MATHEWS ::: Upon receipt of information from a confidential source pertaining to a November 2012 operation conducted by the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office Special Operations Unit, The GRIP began compiling information utilizing public records available through Georgia’s Open Records Act. In response to The GRIP’s initial Open Records request seeking information on this […]
Filed Under: Top Stories Tagged With: GPS tracker, Griffin, narcotics, operation, Sgt. John Corley, ShadowOps, Sheriff Wendell Beam, spalding county, Special Operations Unit, The GRIP
Sheriff’s Office arrests mother, daughter for meth trafficking
STAFF REPORT ::: According to Spalding County Sheriff Wendell Beam, the Special Operations Unit on Thursday, Dec. 3, arrested two women – a mother and daughter – on charges of trafficking illegal drugs. The two suspects were identified as 55-year-old Sarah Ponce, of 88 Sims Cemetery Road, Franklin, and 36-year-old Carrie A. Ornelas, of 7735 […]
Filed Under: Top Stories Tagged With: arrest, crime, Griffin, methampetamine, narcotics, Sheriff Wendell Beam, spalding county, Spalding County Sheriff's Office, Special Operations Unit, trafficking
Sheriff Wendell Beam issues press release in response to The GRIP article
STAFF REPORTS ::: Recently Sheila A. Mathews published an article in the GRIP which indicated members of the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office engaged in an illegal narcotics investigation in 2012. This incident is not involved in a current litigation process; therefore I am at liberty to respond to Sheila A. Mathew’s article. In November 2012, […]
Filed Under: Top Stories Tagged With: GPS tracker, investigative report, John Corley, Sheila Mathews, Sheriff Wendell Beam, spalding county, Spalding County Sheriff's Office, Special Operations Unit, The GRIP
City manager discusses GPD chief hiring process
SHEILA A. MATHEWS ::: Following the Nov. 21 resignation of Steve Heaton, who served as chief of the Griffin Police Department since April 2014, Capt. Homer Daniel, as the senior commanding officer, has been named interim chief. Griffin City Manager Kenny Smith said Daniel will hold that position until the hiring process has been completed, […]
Young lady’s epilepsy diagnosis strengthens family bond
SHEILA A. MATHEWS ::: Life can change forever in an instant. This is a harsh reality that was faced in 2008 by David and Selena Williams when their daughter, Maggie, was diagnosed with epilepsy at the age of 15. “According to the doctor, she has it all. She has 36 out of the 40 […]
Filed Under: Top Stories Tagged With: epilepsy, Epilepsy Awareness Month, Griffin, King, Maggie Williams, Selena Williams, service dog, spalding county
Five family members injured in Sunday afternoon wreck
SHEILA A. MATHEWS ::: Five members of one family were injured in a Sunday afternoon wreck at the intersection of North Expressway and Highway 92. Three of those injured were children, the youngest being only one-week-old. According to Sgt. Matt McFarlan, of the Griffin Police Department Uniform Patrol Division, the wreck occurred when a driver […]
Filed Under: Top Stories Tagged With: baby, children, Egleston, family, Griffin, Griffin Police Department, Highway 92, North Expressway, spalding county, wreck
Sheriff’s Office narcotics unit investigation raises questions
The GRIP received information from a confidential source alleging the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office Special Operations Unit in 2012 conducted an illegal operation involving the placement of a Global Positioning System (GPS) tracker on a vehicle without court ordered authorization. The GRIP conducted an investigation based on that allegation and the following is the first […]
Filed Under: Top Stories Tagged With: court order, GPS tracker, investigation, narcotics, search warrant, Sgt. John Corley, Sheriff Wendell Beam, spalding county, Spalding County Sheriff's Office, Special Operations Unit
GPD Operation Wheelin’ and Dealin’ targets street level drug dealers
STAFF REPORT ::: Personnel of the Griffin Police Department Special Investigations Unit with assistance from the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office Special Operations Unit and the Fayette County Tactical Narcotics Team on Oct. 28 concluded Operation Wheelin’ and Dealin,’ a sale case operation targeting street level drug dealers throughout the city of Griffin and Spalding County. […]
Filed Under: Top Stories Tagged With: arrests, crime, drugs, Fayette County Tactical Narcotics Team, Griffin, Griffin Police Department, narcotics, spalding county, Spalding County Sheriff's Office
GPD: Children removed from home in “deplorable” condition
SHEILA A. MATHEWS ::: Three children were removed from their home Wednesday when the Griffin Police Department and the Spalding County Department of Family and Children Services (DFCS) discovered they were living in conditions authorities describe as “deplorable.” Sgt. Kelly McKinney, of the GPD Criminal Investigation Division, said she and other law enforcement personnel responded […]
Filed Under: Top Stories Tagged With: child cruelty, crime, Department of Family and Children Services, DFCS, Griffin, Griffin Police Department, spalding county
Sunday morning drive-by shooting wounds one
SHEILA A. MATHEWS ::: The Griffin Police Department is investigating a drive-by shooting that occurred early Sunday morning, leaving one man wounded. According to Investigator Todd Howard, of the GPD Criminal Investigation Division, the shooting took place at 1701 Park Circle and was reported at approximately 3:40 a.m. Howard said the incident was precipitated by […]
Filed Under: Top Stories Tagged With: aggravated assault, drive-by shooting crime, Griffin, Griffin Police Department, shooting, spalding county
Sheriff: 13-year-old arrested in connection to three commercial burglaries
STAFF REPORTS ::: According to Spalding County Sheriff Wendell Beam, a 13-year-old suspect has been arrested in connection to three recent commercial burglaries. Deputies on Sunday, Oct. 18, arrested the juvenile as he was allegedly in the act of burglarizing a local business, Pings and Dings, located at 2930 North Expressway. As a result of […]
Filed Under: Top Stories Tagged With: Burglary, crime, Griffin, juvenile, Sheriff Wendell Beam, spalding county, Spalding County Sheriff's Office
The GRIP 