SPALDING COUNTY SO MAKES ROBBERY ARREST

SPALDING COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE SHERIFF DARRELL DIX 401 Justice Boulevard Griffin, GA 30224 PRESS RELEASE Major Dwayne Jones Public Information Officer 770-467-5413 djones@spaldingcounty.com FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 15, 2020 On October 7, 2020, the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office Uniform Patrol Division responded to the area of Kendall Drive and Glory Road to meet with a citizen who had been robbed. The victim, identified as Kenneth Palmore, told deputies that while he was at his nephew Demetrice Coggin’s residence on West Road, he was hit over the head, tied up with duct tape, held against his will, and robbed before being released. Based on the information given by the victim, deputies were able to determine that the address where the incident occurred, and where Coggins lived was 20 West Rd. in Spalding County. Mr. Palmore met with Investigators at the Spalding County Sherriff’s Office and was able to give a detailed interview about what happened to him. Sheriff Darrell Dix, “During the interview, the victim told Investigators that his nephew, Demetrice Coggins, demanded money from him and when he said no, Coggins hit him in the head and knocked him out. While he was unconscious, Coggins bound him in a chair with duct tape and refused to release him. According to the victim, he stayed this way for several hours before finally being untied and robbed of his of cash and debit cards by Coggins.” Based on the information and interview with the victim, our Investigators obtained a search warrant for the residence where Coggins lives, and where the crime occurred. Coggins has a criminal background that includes arrests for previous assaults, and at the time of this incident was already out on bond stemming from a previous assault arrest. Based on his violent history, we activated our SWAT Team, Negotiators, and Criminal Investigators respond to make contact with him and attempt to get him to surrender peacefully. After briefing at the Sheriff’s Office, SWAT Operators went to the house, set up a perimeter and a negotiator began calling out to Coggins via loudspeaker in an attempt to get him to surrender peacefully. “We called to him for approximately 3 hours and received no response from him even though there were strong indicators that he was in the house. We eventually decided to make entry, and as we approached the side door of the residence we were met by Coggins just inside the doorway. His girlfriend, identified as Carlissa Dixon, could be seen standing in a hallway behind him. We began giving Coggins verbal commands and he decided that he did not want to comply and surrender. Because of his decision to not surrender as ordered, our SWAT Operators had to go hands on with him to take him into custody. He was taken into custody without any injuries to him or officers. His girlfriend, Carlissa Dixon, stated to the officers on scene that while our negotiators were outside calling for him to surrender, they both heard us. She said that Coggins was holding her against her will, would not allow her to respond, answer her phone as we attempted to call her, or leave the house.” “I guess he thought we’d just go away or vanish if he didn’t answer us or make the choice to surrender. I guess he thought wrong because it didn’t work out the way he wanted it to.” The crime scene was searched subsequent to the arrest and various pieces of evidence of the crimes was collected. Demetrice Coggins B/M 43 has been charged with Robbery, Aggravated Assault, False Imprisonment, and Kidnapping with Bodily Injury. “Our Uniform Deputies, Investigators, SWAT Operators and Negotiators, and Crime Scene Investigators did an outstanding job from the first call to the conclusion of this incident. Because of their hard work and training it ended well and no one was injured