Spalding County deputy shot, critically wounded

SHEILA A. MATHEWS ::: A Spalding County deputy has been critically wounded in a shooting, and is being flown by air ambulance to an Atlanta trauma unit. Sheriff Darrell Dix said SCSO personnel remain involved in a standoff with the alleged gunman. “We are in a barricaded situation with the gunman. Shots have been exchanged, […]

SWAT standoff leads to investigation of Spalding assistant county manager, arrest of former Code Enforcement officer

SHEILA A. MATHEWS ::: Spalding County Code Enforcement Officer Steven Arnold was on Saturday arrested after a standoff at his residence involving the Griffin Police Department SWAT Team and Uniform Patrol Division personnel. Police initially responded to Arnold’s Sylvan Lane residence in response to a 911 call reporting a suicide threat. The caller, later identified […]

Hawbaker: Bond denied

SHEILA A. MATHEWS ::: Spalding County Senior Magistrate Judge Rita Cavanaugh has denied bond to Commissioner Don Hawbaker on five felony counts of aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer. Bond was granted on five separate misdemeanor charges. The GRIP will publish a detailed article of the bond hearing later in the day.

Sheriff formally requests Governor Kemp remove Don Hawbaker from office

STAFF REPORT ::: In a letter in which he referred to Commissioner Don Hawbaker as “a threat to the community and menace to society” whose actions “are worse than the actions of a gang member,” Spalding County Sheriff Darrell Dix requested Gov. Brian Kemp take steps to remove from office the elected official who remains […]

Hawbaker retains all rights as duly elected county commissioner

SHEILA A. MATHEWS ::: Don Hawbaker, who is currently being held without bond in the Spalding County Jail, remains a member of the Spalding County Board of Commissioners. Under Georgia law, governmental action to remove a commissioner may not be initiated prior to the official being indicted by a grand jury on a felony charge. […]

Hawbaker denied bond; now facing four counts of aggravated assault against LEO

SHEILA A. MATHEWS ::: Don Hawbaker was on Wednesday denied bond at his first appearance hearing before Spalding County Chief Magistrate Judge Rita Cavanaugh. The Spalding County Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday obtained four misdemeanor arrest warrants against Hawbaker – one for simple assault alleging he pointed a pistol towards his wife, Gayle Hawbaker and three […]

Spalding Commissioner Don Hawbaker facing multiple felony charges

SHEILA A. MATHEWS ::: Don Hawbaker, the Spalding County commissioner who allegedly initiated a standoff with the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office SWAT Team will soon face additional felony charges related to claims he fired shots at deputies. The incident began when SCSO personnel arrived at Hawbaker’s 1121 Satilla Court residence to serve four warrants for […]

Sheriff: Domestic call with gunfire leads to standoff, SWAT call out

STAFF REPORT ::: The Spalding County Sheriff’s Office on Thursday evening responded to a domestic call with shots fired and a possible barricaded gunman at 512 Terry Drive. An hours-long standoff ensued. According to a press release issued by Sheriff Darrell Dix, the report was made by a woman who alleged her boyfriend, 50-year-old Stephen […]

Nearly six-hour SWAT standoff results in warrants for Griffin man’s arrest

SHEILA A. MATHEWS ::: A domestic-related call with a person threatening suicide Monday afternoon resulted in a SWAT callout for the Griffin Police Department. Lt. Daniel Jett, the public information officer for the GPD, said that while en route to the location, officers were advised by Spalding E911 that 22-year-old Javon Goodman was threatening suicide […]

Standoff ends with two arrests

STAFF REPORT ::: A two-hour standoff Friday afternoon ended with the arrest of 23-year-old Reginald Collier, who was wanted in connection with a March 27 robbery of the Dollar General store located at 21 Bicycle Road. According to a press release issued by Sheriff Darrell Dix, personnel of the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office’s Criminal Investigations […]

GPD: Gunfire, standoff ends without serious injury

SHEILA A. MATHEWS ::: The Griffin Police Department Special Response Team (SRT) on Sunday was activated in response to a standoff following multiple calls reporting shots fired. According to a police report filed by GPD Officer Tyler Farrell, the incident occurred at 738 S. 9th St., after Spalding E911 reported receiving three calls referring to […]

Sunday standoff with barricaded subject ends without injury

SUBMITTED ::: A standoff with a Spalding County woman who allegedly assaulted her husband before barricading herself inside their home Sunday morning came to a conclusion hours later following a response by the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office and Griffin Police Department. According to a press release issued by Sheriff Darrell Dix, deputies responded at 9:32 a.m. […]