A former Georgia police officer found himself on the wrong side of the law last week when a grand jury indicted him in connection with a murder investigation allegedly involving his half-brother.
On May 9, 2021, 25-year-old Javareis Reed was found murdered. His lifeless body was found lying on a sidewalk in Griffin, Georgia, about 60 miles south of Atlanta. He had been shot multiple times.
Investigator Dan Markivious Hammon “DJ” King, described by some asstar of hopeMembers of the Griffin Police Department quickly arrived on the scene. However, during the course of investigating the murder, Dr. King made a horrifying discovery. The idea was that his half-brother Damon Beck may have been involved.
According to reports, Dr. King never disclosed the potential conflict of interest to his superiors. It is also said that Beck was never listed as a potential suspect in any case documents. In November 2021, King written reprimand He was charged by the ministry with violating his duty not to provide false or misleading information.
Last year, then-Police Chief Griffin michael yates He defended King, saying his only mistake was that he “insufficiently documented the incident.” Yates also stressed that Beck was only King’s “half-brother” and that King “never lived with him.” Yates insisted that without new evidence from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, he “does not believe” that King committed the crime.
Yates also denied any wrongdoing, but was placed on “non-disciplinary leave” in April last year and ultimately resigned from the department. “I categorically deny any wrongdoing or policy violations,” he said in a statement to 11Alive.
Despite the support of his then-chief, Mr. King was placed on leave more than a year ago, shortly after his half-brother Mr. Beck was arrested and charged with aggravated assault and murder in the Reed case. King resigned from the department six months ago.
Last Friday, the Spalding County Grand Jury was indicted King, now 25, is charged with violating his oath of office, a felony punishable by up to five years in prison. King turned himself in and was booked into the Spalding County Jail, and Beck is being held on $750,000 bail. However, prison records do not list King’s name among the current inmates, indicating he may have bonded.
Griffin City manager Jessica O’Connor suggested King and Yates’ professional conduct was “appalling”. “We have learned from past mistakes made by former officers and are continually implementing new policies and practices to ensure the Griffin Police Department is respected as a professional agency serving the public,” she said. the statement added.
King declined 11Alive’s request for comment.
Ray Muhammad, a community activist and friend of murder victim Javareis Reed, said King’s arrest reopened old wounds. “We are still grieving,” Muhammad said, “because we had to let the investigators who were investigating the case investigate.”
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