Three Out of Six Arrested for Young Stockbridge Man’s Death

Stockbridge, Ga. - Authorities have reported that three out six suspects have been arrested and are currently in the Henry County Jail.

On April 8th, officers responded to a Stockbridge apartment complex to discover a 24-year-old man seriously injured from a gunshot wound. He was rushed to a nearby hospital where he ultimately died from his injuries.

Not many details have been released by local authorities, however, they have let it be known that they believe six different suspects to be involved. The men are wanted on charges of aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and felony murder in Georgia.

As mentioned above, three of the six men have been arrested and have been denied bond in Georgia. Henry County detectives are asking the public that if anyone has any information regarding this shooting to please come forward.

Aggravated assault is a crime that is often mentioned in the Metro Atlanta area. However, as a Georgia Criminal Defense Attorney, I am aware that it is not the easiest of crimes to understand from a legal standpoint. For this reason, I will outline the law behind aggravated assault in today's post.

Aggravated Assault in Georgia

To adequately explain the law behind aggravated assault, it is necessary to look at the law behind assault in Georgia. The Georgia Code defines assault in O.C.G.A. §16-5-20 as:

A person commits the offense of simple assault when he or she either (1) attempts to commit a violent injury to the person of another; or (2) commits an act which places another in reasonable apprehension of immediately receiving a violent injury.

A conviction for assault in Georgia will be treated as a misdemeanor. The penalty can include a period of confinement of up to one year and up to $1,000 in fines.

Therefore, the crime of aggravated assault is the elevated version. Aggravated Assault in Georgia is defined by the Georgia Code in O.C.G.A. § 16-5-21 as:

A person commits the offense of aggravated assault when he or she assaults:

• with intent to murder, to rape, or to rob;
• with a deadly weapon or with any object, device, or instrument which, when used offensively against a person, is likely to or actually does result in serious bodily injury;
• with any object, device, or instrument which, when used offensively against a person, is likely to or actually does result in strangulation; or
• without legal justification by discharging a firearm from within a motor vehicle toward a person or persons.

To be found guilty of aggravated assault, the prosecution must show that the suspect is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. This means that there must be a demonstration of violence coupled with an apparent present ability to inflict an injury that causes a person to fear that they will receive an immediate violent injury.

Unlike assault, aggravated assault is classified as a felony offense in Georgia. The penalty for an aggravated assault conviction is a prison term between one to twenty years.

Practice Note

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