ATLANTA — A 17-year-old is back behind bars – accused of rape – just three days after being released on bond in another crime.
Police said D'shawn Garrison grabbed a woman while she was jogging and sexually assaulted her in her front yard.
The case has outraged law enforcement to the point that several sources contacted Channel 2's Michael Seiden about the case.
“It is sickening. For officers to see that, it’s extremely frustrating,” said Sgt. John Chafee, with the Atlanta Police Department.
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His comments came just one day after officers arrested and charged Garrison with rape after the attack in the Carver Hills neighborhood.
“A witness was driving by and saw what was going on and intervened. Between the witness and the victim, they were able to hold that male until police arrived and took him into custody,” Chafee said.
On Friday, a judge ordered Garrison to remain in jail, but that wasn't the case earlier in the week.
According to an incident report, Atlanta police arrested Garrison on May 5 after he led police on a chase in a stolen car.
“Officers detained him and took him into custody and during the course of dealing with him that night and processing him, he escaped from their custody,” Chafee said.
Two days later, he bonded out of jail after Magistrate Judge Jeffrey Frazier set bond at $17,500.
But according to Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard, Garrison -- who has racked up more than a dozen prior arrests, including an armed robbery charge as 14-year-old -- should have never gotten out.
Howard sent Channel 2 Action News a lengthy statement about Garrison's case, saying:
“This case illustrates what can go wrong when members of the criminal justice system attempt to temper incarceration against the age of the defendant.
“D’Shawn Garrison’s 2017 armed robbery case was returned to the Fulton County Juvenile Court on May 3, 2018, based upon a recommendation from the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office, which considered his age (14) at the time of the offense. Even though he was already under juvenile court sentence and had (13) prior offenses, Garrison was released on bond with the condition that he wear an ankle monitor.
“A year after his release from juvenile court, Garrison was arrested by the Atlanta Police Department on May 5, 2019, on a theft by receiving stolen property charge while wearing the court issued ankle monitor. The defendant escaped from police custody and was later apprehended again by APD and appeared before a Fulton County Magistrate Judge. For some unknown reason we have not been able to determine, neither the District Attorney, the Magistrate Judge, nor the Pre-Trial Release Division had possession of Garrison’s juvenile record at the time of the hearing.
“Garrison was not wearing the ankle monitor at the time of the hearing and stood before the Magistrate Judge with his mother in tow. No mention was made of his previous record which led to his release, by signature bond, to his mother.
“Taking advantage of the allowances made to him because of his young age, Garrison, nevertheless, was arrested (3) days later for the brutal assault and rape of a 54-year-old female victim. Garrison will be indicted within 30 days and shall remain in custody until his case is heard.”
Cox Media Group
