By Joe Johnson
The Western Judicial Circuit district attorney this week dismissed charges against an Athens man who was arrested over a year ago for allegedly shooting someone at the Clarke Gardens apartment complex.
In a motion to dismiss charges filed Tuesday in Clarke County Superior Court, DA Deborah Gonzalez stated that even though there had been probable cause to arrest 28-year-old Dwight Donterrius Brown, “after reviewing the evidence the State does not believe there is sufficient evidence to prove Defendant’s guilt as to the charges beyond a reasonable doubt were the case to proceed to trial.”
The motion noted that the alleged victim failed to respond to numerous attempts to conduct follow-up interviews and to inform him of court dates. The motion further states that the alleged victim’s whereabouts were unknown.
“Furthermore, during interviews with law enforcement and medical personnel the alleged victim never identified” Brown as the person who shot him, Gonzalez stated in the motion.
The dismissal rankled detectives who investigated the case. As one stated, "This was a solid case with numerous eyewitnesses.”
According to police, the incident occurred early the evening of Sept. 30, 2019 when the 27-year-old victim was playing cards on the trunk of a car that was parked on Carriage Court in Clarke Gardens when shots were fired from the area of the complex’s playground.
The victim was struck by a bullet in the leg and the side of the car was also struck by gunfire, according to police.
While inspecting the area from where the shots were fired, investigators were told by witnesses that the shooter went by “Baldy,” a nickname that was used by Brown, according to police.
Brown was arrested the day of the incident and he was subsequently indicted by a grand jury.