Gainesville man faces charges after SWAT standoff leads to shooting
On Saturday, July 16th, a man was shot and wounded during a SWAT standoff in Hall County at around 4 a.m.
According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigations, Hall County Sheriff's deputies were called for a welfare check at a home on Lakeview Lane in Gainesville at 12:30 a.m. When deputies arrived at the scene, they found Randy Berry, 34, armed with an axe inside a shed on the property with a woman.
During the standoff, negotiators discovered that Berry had also armed himself with gasoline and had poured it on himself and the victim, as well as throughout the shed. He had nailed the front door shut, and made threats to set the building on fire.
Around 4 a.m., Berry stopped communicating with authorities, and SWAT was given permission to use force. Berry was shot in the arm, and SWAT members entered the shed to help both Berry and the victim. The woman was not injured.
Berry has been released from the hospital and has also been booked into the Hall County Jail. He faces felony charges for terroristic threats and false imprisonment. He also faces misdemeanor charges of obstruction and reckless conduct. Read More
Cleveland man faces meth trafficking charge
Following a Wednesday night traffic stop, White County sheriff’s deputies have charged Cleveland man Demetric T. Williams, 32, with trafficking methamphetamine.
Sheriff Rick Kelly reported that Williams was in possession of 120 grams of meth, a scale, and a user amount of cocaine. Read More
Banks County man charged with sexual exploitation of children
On Thursday, July 14, a Banks County man, Todd Glassburn, 33, was arrested by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation's Child Exploitation and Computer Crime (CEAAC) Unit and has been charged with five accounts of child sex crimes. He is currently being held at the Banks County Jail.
The GBI CEACC Unit began investigating Glassburn's online activity after a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) was given. The tip was in regards to the online possession and distribution of images depicting child sexual abuse material.
GBI explained in a press release that this investigation is a part of the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force’s efforts to identify those involved with the child pornography trade.
Anyone with information regarding other cases of child exploitation is asked to contact the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Child Exploitation and Computer Crimes Unit at 404-270-8870. Tips can also be submitted by calling 1-800-597-TIPS(8477), online at https://gbi.georgia.gov/submit-tips-online, or by downloading the See Something, Send Something mobile app. Read More
Georgia switching to debit cards to deliver WIC benefits
Georgia will begin to issue electronic debit cards by October for women and children who benefit from the federal Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children.
Otherwise known as the WIC program, it provides food for low-income women during and after pregnancy, as well as for infants and children of 5 or younger.
According to Georgia Public Broadcasting, the state is one of the last to retire paper vouchers after a 2020 mandate to switch to electronic methods.
Pat Mobely, WIC coordinator for the Savannah-based Coastal Health District, explained why this is saying: “The state of Georgia couldn’t meet that deadline, so we now are complete and we’re ready to go.” Mobely said all beneficiaries should have a card by the end of October, giving them greater freedom to manage their spending.
Beneficiaries will also be able to check their balances online. Read More
Louisiana man dies while visiting Tallulah Gorge
On Friday afternoon, a visitor to Tallulah Gorge State Park died.
The man was identified to be 62-year-old Michael Joseph Pergola of Slidell, La.
Mark McKinnon, spokesman for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement Division said that authorities responded to an unresponsive call on the floor of Tallulah Gorge, but “upon arrival, they learned that an adult male had collapsed and was face down in the river. CPR was administered but was unsuccessful.” Read More
