Hall County Sheriff's Office

Hall County Sheriff’s Office investigators received some surveillance video from the victim in this package theft case. While the suspect and vehicle are pretty far back from the camera, detectives hope the short video clip will ring bell with someone as to the identity of the criminal. The thief drove up to the mailbox of the home on Eucalyptus Way in Flowery Branch at approximately 11 a.m. on Tuesday, January 12, and stole a package. The car appears to be a silver Infiniti. Anyone with information on the crime or identity of the suspect can reach out to Investigator Hunt at (770) 533-7224.

While Mr. Jack E. Frost wasn’t officially a member of the Hall County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) ranks, if felt as though he was. Frost, the owner and operator of Memorial Park Funeral Homes and Cemeteries died this week, leaving a void in the hearts of many in the North Georgia community. Mr. Frost was a superb community partner, generous with his time and resources, something that was apparent at the HCSO. While his kind gestures to the agency are too numerous to list, three... of them stand out. Through his business, Mr. Frost hosted an annual Memorial Day observance. The HCSO Honor Guard has been invited over the years, along with other public safety honor guards, to carry out a 24-hour vigil honoring United States Armed Forces personnel who have died in the performance of their military duties. In recent years, Sheriff Gerald Couch has been invited to deliver remarks at the observance. The Sheriff’s Office considers it an honor and privilege to be included. Mr. Frost and his business are also associated locally with another holiday. Each year, he hosted a Fourth of July barbecue in honor of the community’s first responders. Deputies would stop by for lunch and words of kindness from the funeral home staff and others. July Fourth is typically hot, and Mr. Frost was known to open up the air-conditioned dining area of the funeral home facility to give first responders a cool-off while they were eating. His generosity spread and the barbecue became the it place to be on the fourth. Last, but certainly not least, Mr. Frost was instrumental in the Sheriff’s Office Headquarters monument in honor of its fallen. Unveiled in August of 2020, the approximately 5 feet tall roughly carved marble stone bears the name of each fallen officer, his end of watch (EOW) date and the Sheriff’s Office badge. When planning the monument, Sheriff Couch reached out to Frost for information on how to acquire marble for the project. Frost was known for commissioning marble art pieces. When Couch asked about pricing for marble in planning for the budget, Frost replied, you’re not paying for anything. With that, Frost took the reins and delivered the current monument at no cost to the community. Jack was always there for the Sheriff’s Office, Couch said. Not only did he show the Sheriff’s Office kindness and support, he was a great contributor to the community as a whole. I will miss him greatly. The HCSO sends its sincerest condolences the family, business family and friends of Mr. Jack E. Frost. Please enjoy the photos, just a few of the memories mentioned above.

The Hall County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the generous sponsors who made hosting the Georgia Resiliency Master Instructor Training Program a reality for the Hall County Sheriff’s Office this week. The Cottrell Foundation and a sponsor who wished to remain anonymous made it all possible. We are thankful that God was able to provide the means necessary to make this class a reality, the anonymous donor said.... 14 students from agencies across Georgia are completed the three-day course to become instructors in the program. The new Master Resiliency Instructors will take the message of mental, physical, social and spiritual health strategies to law enforcement officers across the state.

A short-lived, but fruitful Hall County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) BOLO (be on the lookout) earlier this month has resulted in the arrest of a Winder man in connection with a shoplifting case at a Lula-area antiques store. Gary Walter Cox Jr., 49, faces a charge of felony, theft by shoplifting in connection with the Jan. 10, incident at the store in the 7,000 block of Lula Road. According to the preliminary investigation, Cox made two trips into the store on the tenth, fillin...g his pockets with merchandise from display cases before leaving in his vehicle. On Wednesday, Jan. 13, investigators issued a BOLO with store surveillance stills of the crime. Within two hours of the posts on HCSO social media accounts, someone was able to identify Cox as the suspect. The suspect SUV in the surveillance photos matched the one registered to Cox. Investigators obtained an arrest warrant for Cox but were not immediately able to locate him. Early Wednesday morning, Jan. 20, deputies stopped a vehicle in the 5,800 block of Cornelia Highway for a headlight that wasn’t working. Cox was the driver, and deputies arrested him without incident. In addition to the shoplifting, Cox had an outstanding arrest warrant for misdemeanor theft by taking stemming from a case in October of 2020. In last year’s case, Cox stole a helmet and gloves from a motorcycle in the parking lot of the Georgia Department of Driver Services center on Aviation Boulevard in Gainesville. Investigators are working to recover the stolen items. As always, the HCSO thanks everyone who shared the BOLO.

HCSO hosts instructor training for new Georgia Resiliency Program (segment starts at approximately 1:50 on the Hall County Weekly video below) 14 students from agencies across Georgia are completing a three-day course this week to become instructors in the Georgia Resiliency Program. New Master Resiliency Instructors will take the message of mental, physical, social and spiritual health strategies to officers across the state. ... The program is being organized by the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council (P.O.S.T.) and Peace Officers Association of Georgia. When we purchase a new vehicle or some other piece of equipment, we require our officers to perform regular maintenance on that item, Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council (POST) Executive Director Mike Ayers said. We write policy governing the use of that item, and we require our officers to demonstrate proficiency with that tool before we allow them to use it. Tools cost money, and we have an obligation to use those funds well. We care for and perform preventative maintenance on those items, but do we do the same for our most important asset, our people? Ayers and others are now part of bringing such a program to Georgia, based on a model already implemented in New Jersey. Hall County Sheriff’s Lt. Greg Cochran recently became a Master Instructor and is part of training-the-trainers in Hall County this week. I believe officer resiliency is one of the most important issues we can address, Cochran said. When we improve an officer’s ability to better deal with certain issues, not only does the officer benefit, but so does their family and the community in which they serve. Hall County Sheriff Gerald Couch is in full support of the effort which promises to significantly reduce officer suicide and misconduct and provide officers with life skills to help them become resilient in every aspect of their lives. In a day and age where the stresses of serving as a law enforcement officer (LEO) are at perhaps their highest point ever, it’s critical that we foster an environment where our men and women are empowered and supported in taking care of their own physical, mental and spiritual well-being, Sheriff Couch said. I fully endorse the critical work being started by our partners with the Georgia Resiliency Program and look forward to a cultural shift in our profession where we no longer expect LEOs to merely, ‘tough it out,’ when it comes to the tragedy they see on an almost daily basis. I am honored that the Sheriff’s Office is able to host this course, and I’m excited to see this program grow in our state. The class runs through Thursday, Jan. 21, and is being held in the Ramsey Conference Center at Lanier Technical College.

Agents with the Gainesville/Hall County Multi-Agency Narcotics Squad (MANS Unit) arrested a Gainesville man and seized drugs worth an estimated $400,000 on the street on Thursday night, Dec. 17, in the northwest portion of the county. During the execution of a search warrant at a residence in the 5,600 block of West Waterwood Drive off of Dudley Hill Road, agents arrested Delbert Channie Tucker, 52, without incident. Deputies with the Uniform Patrol Division K9 Unit assisted... agents with the case. Tucker faces the following charges: Trafficking heroin Trafficking methamphetamine Possession of marijuana with intent to distribute Felony possession of marijuana In the course of the short-term investigation, agents seized approximately eight pounds of methamphetamine, two pounds of marijuana, eight grams of heroin and $83,000 cash. Although no further arrests are expected in the case, Tucker faces the possibility of additional charges as the investigation continues. He remained in the booking process at the Hall County Jail on Friday afternoon, Dec. 18.

Hall County Sheriff’s deputies have charged a Gainesville man with a handful of offenses for pointing a gun at two victims as well as following and ramming their vehicle late Wednesday night, Dec. 9. Abraham Rivas, 26, is charged twice with aggravated assault and once with first-degree criminal damage to property. Deputies also charged Rivas for aggressive driving and possession of less than an ounce of marijuana. At approximately 11:40 p.m., deputies responded to a call abo...ut a gunman and met with the victims. According to initial details, a man, 20, and a female, 17, left a restaurant in a car and were followed by Rivas who was driving a minivan. As he was following the victims on GA369/Browns Bridge Road, Rivas pointed a handgun at them. As the victims sped up to get away, Rivas rammed their car with the van he was driving in the area of Gould Drive. The victims were able to drive to a safe location as Rivas drove off. Shortly after deputies met with the victims, Gainesville Police Department officers located, stopped and took Rivas into custody without incident at the intersection of GA 369/Jesse Jewell Parkway and GA 60/Queen City Parkway. No one was injured during the occurrences that remain under investigation by the Hall County Sheriff’s Office. Rivas remained in jail without bond on Thursday afternoon, Dec. 10.

PHOTO GALLERY - ADVANCE Unit delivers T-shirts, certificates to fall 2020 ADVANCE graduates. http://www.advance4kids.com/

Hall County Sheriff’s deputies were a part of Santa’s logistics team on Monday, Dec. 7, transporting Christmas gifts from the Village at Deaton Creek to the Hall-Dawson CASA Program offices in Gainesville. The effort has become an annual tradition where residents at the development in south Hall County shop for toys, canned goods and hygiene items. When all is said and done, the generous spirits at the Village at Deaton Creek amass a mountain of gifts, which are placed under... the Christmas tree in the village clubhouse. The collection is for children served by the Hall-Dawson CASA Program. The program, provides trained, screened and supervised volunteers to advocate for the best interests of abused and neglected children requiring court intervention, its website states. The men and women of the Hall County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) are blessed each year to be invited to load, transport and unload the gifts at CASA’s offices in Gainesville. Despite COVID-19, the village pulled off the 2020 collection, allowing residents to drop gifts off outside of the clubhouse while remaining socially distant. Staff members then took them inside. These safety measures didn’t discourage the giving spirit, as deputies loaded two sleighs (trailers) to make the flight (drive) to CASA on Monday. The men and women of the Hall County Sheriff’s Office are always thrilled to play a small role in this team effort to bring some Christmas joy to abused and neglected children in our community, Hall County Sheriff Gerald Couch said. The generous residents of the Village at Deaton Creek provide the gifts, we provide the logistics and Hall-Dawson CASA makes sure they get into the hands of children they serve. I can’t think of a better example of community teamwork to benefit this critical CASA program. Christmas morning should be grand for some well-deserving children. Music: https://www.purple-planet.com

Sheriff Gerald Couch administered the oath of office this week to three employees at a small ceremony at Sheriff’s Office Headquarters. Deputy Joy Ayers has joined the Sheriff’s Office as a Crime Scene Technician after completing her degree and the police academy. Deputy Ayers interned with the Crime Scene Unit prior to joining the team. Sheriff Couch additionally swore in Richard Brown and Martin Mejia as new deputies. Both recently graduated from the police academy.... Please join the Sheriff’s Office in congratulating all three.

UPDATE - Monday, Nov. 2, 2020 - Julisian Whisnant safely returned home to her family on Sunday, Nov. 1. Thank you to everyone who shared the BOLO.

UPDATE, Dec. 16 - Although it's a short clip, Hall County Sheriff's Office investigators hope it will help identify the suspect in the Friday, Dec. 11, armed robbery at Dollar General on GA 13/Atlanta Highway in Buford. ORIGINAL POST, Dec. 14 - The Hall County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) is investigating an armed robbery that occurred Friday evening, Dec. 11, at a business on GA 13/Atlanta Highway in Buford. At approximately 9:30 p.m., deputies, as well as officers with the Flow...ery Branch and Gainesville Police Departments responded to the robbery that had just occurred at the Dollar General store near the intersection of Atlanta Highway and GA 347/Friendship Road. Law enforcement secured the scene, but did not locate the male robber. A K9 unit also searched, but did not find him. According to the preliminary investigation, the suspect, holding a handgun, approached two female employees and robbed them of an undisclosed amount of the store’s cash while inside of the business. The victims were not injured. The robber is described as a Black man, approximately 25-30-years-old with buzz cut hair. He was wearing khaki pants, black shoes and a black T-shirt with a Star Wars graphic design. He was also wearing a white COVID mask. Anyone with information on the suspect identity or whereabouts should contact HCSO Investigator Grindle at (770) 533-7687.

The men and women of the Hall County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) are blessed each year to be invited to load, transport and unload Village at Deaton Creek gifts at Hall-Dawson CASA offices in Gainesville. (photos from Monday, Dec. 7)

Wednesday, Oct. 28, was an inspiring day for the Hall County Sheriff’s Office, welcoming aboard nine new members of the Sheriff’s Office family. Sheriff Gerald Couch administered the oath to three new deputies and recent police academy graduates. James Bradley... Isaiah Fernald T.J. Reynolds The swearing-in also included six new jailers taking the oath at the ceremony. Brody Grindle Logan Jackson Adriana Trejo Matthew Bolton Cristian Fajardo Daniel Ortega The event took on new meaning in this challenging year we call 2020. More than ever, the men and woman of the Sheriff’s Office are proud that these nine individuals answered the calling to serve and protect.

NOTICE of scheduled phone upgrades impacting Hall County Jail Hall County Management Information Systems personnel are scheduled to carry out phone system upgrades tonight (Monday, Dec. 7) and tomorrow night (Tuesday, Dec. 8) beginning at 6 p.m. Work on both evenings is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. and last approximately two hours each night.... The effort will affect phone service at the Hall County Jail and other locations along Barber Road during the work hours. While the jail and other facilities will not be able to receive incoming calls during the work, outbound calls will be possible. Thank you for your patience.

Learn more about taking the oath at... https://www.joinhallcountysheriff.com/

MEDIA RELEASE - A Hall County Sheriff’s Office investigation has resulted in the arrest of a Gainesville man for molesting two girls in August of this year. John David Honeycutt, 30, is charged twice each with aggravated sexual battery and child molestation. Sheriff’s Office Warrant Unit deputies arrested Honeycutt without incident on Thursday, Oct. 29, at his residence in the 4,000 block of Country View Circle. Deputies first learned of the incidents when they responded to ...a Sept. 28 call from a family member of one of the victims. According to the preliminary investigation, Honeycutt committed the crimes at his residence on Sunday, Aug. 9. Three of the charges involve offenses Honeycutt committed against one the victims. The remaining child molestation charge involves abuse against the second girl. Honeycutt knew both children. Honeycutt was booked in at the Hall County Jail following his arrest and remained there without bond early Friday afternoon, Oct. 30. Detectives with the Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division continue to investigate the case.

Hall County Sheriff’s Office school-based deputies are off to the races delivering winter coats to children in need at Hall County School District elementary schools. School Resource Officer Justin Lewallen (left) and ADVANCE Unit Deputy Mark Paden got in on the action this morning at Martin Elementary. To read about how the effort came together, visit the earlier post.... https://www.facebook.com/hallcountysheriff/posts/3523684281051067

The Hall County Sheriff’s Office congratulates our own 1st Lt. Donald McDuffie for earning the Stan Elrod Memorial Humanitarian Award at the state Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) conference this week. McDuffie, who serves in the Sheriff’s Office Court Services Division, is also President of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 41 Gainesville/Hall County. For those who don’t know the 1st Lt., you should make every effort to do so. For those who do know him, you know what a wonderful individual he is - a true professional with a servant's heart.

Fatal traffic accidents up, Sheriff’s Office begins campaign to save lives The Hall County Sheriff’s Office is set to kick off a holiday season traffic safety awareness program next week in an effort to save lives on the county’s roadways. As of Oct. 24, 2020, 25 people had been killed as a result of traffic accidents in the county in 2020. With two months ahead in the year, the traffic accident death toll is already higher than 2019’s total of 20. ... The numbers don’t lie, and with the major holidays around the corner, we just knew that an education and enforcement initiative was imperative in making every effort to save lives on the roads, Sheriff Gerald Couch said. While statistics give us a warning, it’s also critical that we remember the impact of these fatal crashes. The loss of the victims, ranging from children to grandparents, has left painful voids in the lives of their loved ones. Statewide, 1,507 people died in traffic accidents on Georgia roadways in 2019. Of those deaths, 76 percent were the result of unsafe behaviors, such as distractions, impairment or driving too fast for conditions, according to the Georgia Department of Transportation. The Sheriff’s Office program will focus on those behaviors over the next three months: November - Distracted driving December Speeding January - Impaired driving In addition to social media messages on each topic, deputies will focus on these behaviors, particularly distracted driving, in their increased enforcement efforts during the campaign. Some of the work will include observing intersections for violations in high-traffic areas. The men and women of the Sheriff’s Office are asking members of the community to read the brief messages each month and discuss the dangers of these driving behaviors with family and friends. Together, we can save lives.

Hall County Sheriff's deputies are part of the all hands on deck cleanup effort from Zeta today. The top photo is from Rufus Bryant Road at Old Dahlonega Highway. Slow it down on your travels for law enforcement, fire/EMS, power company crews, public works and anyone else working to clear your path home.

As expected, the early morning storm caused a scattering of downed trees and power lines throughout Hall County. Hall County Government is updating the list of extended road closures. Motorists are asked to prepare for possible delays, remain vigilant on the roads and decrease their speed. As always, traffic signals at intersections impacted by power outages should be treated as four-way stops.

Hall County Sheriff's Office administrative offices will also delay opening until 10 a.m. Thursday. This does NOT impact law enforcement activity and responses to calls.

It seems the seriousness of the predictions for Zeta has ramped up for us in Hall County. Please stay informed and up-to-date on the storm.

A Hall County Sheriff’s Office investigation has resulted in additional charges for the suspect, including criminal attempt to commit murder, following an early Sunday morning, Oct. 25, incident in a Flowery Branch home. Deputies responded to an assault in progress call at a house in the 5,000 block of Mountain Laurel Walk at approximately 1:30 a.m. According to initial details, the suspect, Christopher Rose, 52, entered the adult female victim’s home, went into her bedroom ...and pointed a handgun at her face. Rose is an estranged family member of the victim. Rose threatened to kill the woman and himself and then attempted to restrain her. The victim grabbed the handgun in an attempt to stop Rose, and the two struggled for control of it. The firearm went off during the scuffle, but no one was hit. Rose punched the victim repeatedly, but she was able to escape to a neighbor’s home and call 911. She suffered minor injuries during the ordeal. After leaving the scene, deputies, with assistance from Flowery Branch Police units, located and stopped Rose’s vehicle at the intersection of GA 13/Falcon Parkway and Martin Road. He was arrested without incident. Rose was booked in at the Hall County Jail on a charge of aggravated assault. Since his arrest, investigators have obtained warrants for the following charges: Criminal attempt to commit murder Kidnapping with bodily injury False imprisonment Aggravated stalking Possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime Rose remained in jail without bond on Wednesday afternoon, Oct. 28. The case remains under investigation by the Sheriff’s Office.

Zeta is on the horizon and Hall County is under tropical storm and flash flood watches. Please stay weather aware.

Hall County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested a Buford-area husband and wife on Tuesday, morning, Oct. 27, for murder in the death of their five-year-old daughter earlier this year. Members of the Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division, Warrants Unit and Active Criminal Enforcement Unit took Jerrail Maurice Mickens, 31, and Porscha Danielle Mickens, 29, into custody without incident at their Rustic Pine Lane residence. Each suspect is charged with felony murder and firs...t-degree cruelty to children. On June 7, 2020, officials at Northeast Georgia Medical Center Braselton notified deputies about an unresponsive five-year-old-girl, Kylie L. Mickens, who had been brought to the hospital for treatment by her parents, Jerrail and Porscha Mickens. Kylie, who weighed approximately seven pounds, was flown to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta (CHOA) - Scottish Rite Hospital. Due to Kylie’s condition and weight, deputies notified the Hall County Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS) and Sheriff’s Office investigators. On Monday, June, 8, Sheriff’s Office Investigators were notified by CHOA that Kiley had died. The Sheriff’s Office began a four-month investigation that included interviews, execution of a search warrant at the Mickens’ home and an autopsy by the GBI Medical Examiner’s Office. Hall County DFCS also remained involved in the case. According to autopsy results received by investigators in early October, Kylie’s cause of death was dehydration and malnutrition due to medical neglect, with the manner of death being homicide. Both Jerrail and Porscha Mickens were booked into the Hall County Jail, where they remained without bond on Tuesday afternoon. The case remains under investigation by the Sheriff’s Office.

Hall County Sheriff's Office investigators hope you can identify the "shopper" in the photographs and video above. We use the term shopper loosely, because investigators know she used a stolen credit card to purchase roughly $1,000 worth of gift cards. She purchased the gift cards at the CVS stores on Mundy Mill Road at McEver Road and Martin Road at Winder Highway on Wednesday, October 7.... Anyone with information on the identity of the suspect can contact Investigator Hunt at (770) 533-7224.

The Hall County Sheriff's Office (HCSO) would like to congratulate the graduates of the 2020 Joint SWAT School, hosted by the HCSO at the Willard Baxter Firearms & Training Complex. Instructors from the HCSO and Forsyth County Sheriff's Office put students through the paces during the Oct. 19 - 23 school. In addition to students from their own agencies, instructors trained and tested students from the multi-jurisdiction North Fulton SWAT Team. North Fulton sent students fr...om the Alpharetta and Milton Police Departments, both member agencies. Hard work, perseverance and spirit got the students through the week. We applaud them and their instructors on the job well done.