Mother of suspect knew fallen police major personally

CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. — The family of a man accused of shooting and killing a beloved Riverdale police major last week knew the officer personally, Channel 2 Action News has learned.

Jerand Ross is facing murder charges for the death of veteran Maj. Greg Barney during a drug raid at a Clayton County apartment.

Police say Ross ran out a back door of the apartment as officers went inside. Barney began to chase Ross and was shot four times, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

Lawyer Keith Martin says Ross’ mother, Felicia Lee, is in agony – not only because her son is accused of murder, but also because she knew Barney.

“She thought Greg Barney was super. She had a great fondness for him, but, of course, everybody in the courthouse did. I think everybody in the community did. I certainly did,” Martin said. “I’ve known Greg Barney since he was a brand new Riverdale police officer, and I remembered that smile.”

[READ: GBI releases new information in killing of Riverdale police major]

Lee knew Barney through her work with Martin when he was Clayton County solicitor general and through Barney’s time as a school resource officer at Riverdale High School when her daughter was there.

She told Winne if her son did it, he must be held accountable.

“(She’s getting through it) through prayer, and a great deal of it. She has told me that many times since Friday morning,” Martin said.

[READ: Community mourns loss of fallen Riverdale police major]

Martin said Ross has been arrested before -- once on a misdemeanor marijuana case and another involving a battery type charge and criminal trespass, for which Ross is still on probation.

“When his mother told me on Friday morning that it was him, I literally staggered across the parking lot. I’ve known him two-thirds of his life,” Martin said about Ross.

Channel 2’s Mark Winne obtained the search warrant used in the raid at 6711 Church Street Building 10 Apartment E, as well as related documents that detail a drug investigation stretching over weeks.

[READ: Why were suspects involved in officer's fatal shooting released on bond?]

The documents say they received information about suspected drug activity at the home. Over the next week weeks, detectives watched several vehicles come and go.

“Several traffic stops have been conducted on person/s (sic) leaving the location. On many of the occasions marijuana was found,” the document reads.

It also says, “Guns have been observed while inside the location to both include handguns and assault rifles,” and suggests there was information that “At any given time multiple person/s may be inside armed.”

The warrant shows police found 39 grams of marijuana and 31 Xanax pills. They also found a Ruger with a magazine and 10 rounds, along with a digital scale, packaging materials and more than $600 in cash inside the apartment during the raid.

WSBTV