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Name:
Williams, Jayden Ian
Date of Booking:
05/15/2026
Reason(s) For Booking:
False Imprisonment
Battery
Aggravated Assault-Strangulation
Officer’s Narrative:
[Please note: The following is a direct transcription from the official initial incident report. The Georgia Gazette does not fix any spelling or grammatical errors that may exist. Any changes or redactions made by our staff are placed inside brackets. Some errors may exist. All subjects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The topics discussed may be sensitive to some readers. Discretion is advised.]
On May 15th, 2026, at approximately 1735 hours, Deputy Thatcher and I were dispatched to the Chadwick Apartments apartment [REDACTED] located at [5300 BLOCK] Allatoona Gateway in Acworth in reference to a domestic disturbance. Dispatch advised that an unknown third-party caller said that a man was holding his girlfriend hostage, and they also said that they had been physical.
Upon arrival, Deputy Thatcher knocked on the door; no one answered. However, I listened to the door and the door down the hallway a few feet away, and I could hear scuffling and what sounded like someone possibly fighting in the apartment. The yelling and scuffling from the apartment grew louder whenever Deputy Thatcher knocked the second time.
The door finally opened, and Deputy Thatcher and I were met by the girlfriend, [VICTIM #1], who came running out of the apartment, crying. I noticed that [VICTIM #1]’s left cargo pocket on her pants was ripped. Deputy Thatcher went inside to talk to [VICTIM #1]’s boyfriend, Jayden Williams, and his mother, [WITNESS #1], about what happened. I spoke to [VICTIM #1] and Jayden’s brother, [WITNESS #2], and asked them what happened. [WITNESS #2] told me he showed up about halfway through their fight and that they were fighting over money. [WITNESS #2] said they were wrestling; however, he said Jayden never hit [VICTIM #1].
[VICTIM #1] seemed to be panicking after what happened, breathing very fast, crying, and shaking. [VICTIM #1] said she did not know if she needed medical attention, so I asked dispatch to have EMS en route anyway.
While I was asking [WITNESS #2] what happened, [VICTIM #1] said that [WITNESS #2] was lying to cover for his brother. I asked [VICTIM #1] what happened, and she told me it all started when Jayden was lying on his bed, and she asked to see the cash they had shared. [VICTIM #1] counted out what she said was her portion of the cash, gave Jayden the rest, and told him she could not trust him and did not want to be in a relationship anymore.
[VICTIM #1] then tried to leave the apartment with her cut of the cash, and Jayden pulled her back, put his arm around her neck, and choked her out to the point where she said she was about to pass out. [VICTIM #1] freed herself and ran into the room where [WITNESS #1] was, and [WITNESS #1] was trying to get them to work out the problem with the cash. Jayden then got aggressive again and yelled that he was going to get his money. He entered the bedroom. At this point, [VICTIM #1] was retreating to the bathroom. Jayden then pushed [VICTIM #1] down, causing her to fall in the shower. Then, he ripped her cargo pants pocket because he thought the cash was in her pocket, and he also bit [VICTIM #1] on the hand.
I asked [VICTIM #1] where exactly he bit her, and she showed me a small red mark on her left hand. [VICTIM #1] told me that she and Jayden have been together for about a month and that they stay over at each other’s apartments once in a while. Still, they do not technically live together, as [VICTIM #1] lives in apartment [REDACTED] and everyone else involved lives in [REDACTED]. [VICTIM #1] told me that Jayden punched her in the face the other day in Atlanta, and the police came out and made a report for it.
Deputy Thatcher came out of the apartment, spoke to [VICTIM #1], and heard her side of the story. Deputy Thatcher told [VICTIM #1] that the money is a civil issue because Jayden told him he had withdrawn cash from the bank, and he had proof of it. However, [VICTIM #1] then added some of her cash to it, having withdrawn it from her bank account. Deputy Thatcher said [VICTIM #1] and Jayden took pictures of themselves showing off their cash together, and Jayden let [VICTIM #1] have all of it for a while. Still, [VICTIM #1] told Jayden to hold on to the cash because “he is the man of the house”.
Deputy Thatcher asked [VICTIM #1] if she wanted to pursue charges against Jayden for what he had done, and she said yes. I then went inside the apartment and spoke to Jayden myself. I asked him if he could tell me what happened, even though he had just told Deputy Thatcher, and he said he didn’t want to because he didn’t want to keep reliving it. I asked him if he ever bit or choked [VICTIM #1], and he did not admit to anything.
Deputy Thatcher said that Jayden did not admit anything to him either; he just told him that [VICTIM #1] had stolen his money and was always trying to get him in trouble.
Deputy Thatcher said that [WITNESS #1] was asleep during the first part of the fight; however, she was woken up when [VICTIM #1] ran into her room to get away from Jayden, and then she witnessed everything that happened in the shower area. [WITNESS #2] witnessed the same part of the fight that [WITNESS #1] did as he showed up right when [VICTIM #1] went into [WITNESS #1]’s room to escape from Jayden.
After I spoke with Jayden and Deputy Thatcher, I told Jayden to put his hands behind his back and that he was under arrest. I placed Jayden into handcuffs, double-locked them, and checked for proper fitment. I searched Jayden incident to arrest in the living room of the apartment, and let [WITNESS #1] charge his phone for a minute so he could get phone numbers from it at the jail. I told Jayden he was under arrest for Aggravated Assault by strangulation, false imprisonment, and battery. Right before I walked out of the apartment, EMS arrived on scene for [VICTIM #1]. However, [VICTIM #1] left the scene, and EMS also went to her apartment upstairs, but she was not there to receive any treatment.
I then walked Jayden to my patrol car. On the way, I noticed a few small scratches on the side of his face, most likely from [VICTIM #1] defending herself. Jayden said he didn’t even know the scratches were there. I believe the scratches on his face were from [VICTIM #1] defending herself, based on all the information Deputy Thatcher and I gathered and what we heard through the door when we arrived on scene. I placed Jayden in the back seat of my patrol car and transported him to the Bartow County Jail. While on the way to the jail, Jayden said he had a video of the whole altercation and that, when he showed it to me, I would find he was innocent and release him.
Upon arrival at the jail, I allowed Jayden to use his phone to show me the video he had been talking about, but he said he did not want to show it anymore because “he was already in jail and it would not make a difference.”
I obtained 3 warrants for Jayden, one for aggravated assault by strangulation because he wrapped his arm around [VICTIM #1]’s neck in an attempt to get her not to leave and choked her, causing her almost to pass out. One for false imprisonment for impeding her from leaving the apartment and one for battery for biting her hand, which had a small red mark.
[End of Narrative]
All information is sourced directly from the official, public court database. Case history is organized and curated by The Georgia Gazette staff. The “What this means:” explanations are written by AI and reviewed by our staff before publishing.
Court records are subject to change at the court’s discretion. The Georgia Gazette is not responsible for errors or omissions. Nothing here is legal advice. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Case History:
7/15/26
GRAND JURY RETURNS INDICTMENT — 4 COUNTS FILED AGAINST JAYDEN IAN WILLIAMS
What this means: A Bartow County grand jury formally indicted Jayden Ian Williams during the May Term 2026 of Bartow Superior Court, returning a “true bill” — meaning the grand jury reviewed the evidence and agreed there was enough to move forward with criminal charges. Case number 26-1155 was filed by District Attorney Erle J. Newton III of the Cherokee Judicial Circuit. Jayden Ian Williams is accused of four counts:
Count 1 — Aggravated Assault (O.C.G.A. § 16-5-21): Williams is accused of assaulting another person in a manner that could cause serious bodily injury. This charge is a felony under Georgia law.
Count 2 — False Imprisonment (O.C.G.A. § 16-5-41): Williams is accused of unlawfully restraining another person against their will. This is also a felony charge.
Count 3 — Battery (O.C.G.A. § 16-5-23.1): Williams is accused of intentionally making physical contact with another person in an offensive or harmful way. Battery at this level is a misdemeanor or felony depending on circumstances.
Count 4 — Criminal Trespass (O.C.G.A. § 16-7-21(b)): Williams is accused of entering or remaining on property without authorization. This is typically a misdemeanor offense.
All charges are accusations only. Jayden Ian Williams has not been convicted of any crime and is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
8/5/26
WAIVER OF ARRAIGNMENT AND REQUEST FOR DISCOVERY FILED
What this means: Jayden Ian Williams waived his right to appear at the scheduled arraignment on August 10, 2026. By waiving arraignment, Williams agreed to proceed without that formal court appearance. At the same time, his attorney filed a request for discovery — a formal demand for the prosecution to provide all evidence, witness statements, police reports, and other materials they plan to use in the case. This is a standard step that allows the defense to review what the state has against Williams before trial.
8/10/26
ARRAIGNMENT SCHEDULED FOR 8/10/26
What this means: Jayden Ian Williams has been scheduled for arraignment on August 10, 2026 at 9:01 AM in Bartow Superior Court. An arraignment is the formal court appearance where a defendant is read the charges against them and enters a plea — typically guilty, not guilty, or no contest. This is a standard early step in the felony court process following an indictment.
8/11/26
STATE DISCLOSURE CERTIFICATE AND DISCOVERY NOTICES FILED
What this means: The state filed a disclosure certificate and discovery notices on August 11, 2026, indicating that the prosecution has provided discovery materials to Jayden Ian Williams’s defense team. This means Williams and his attorney now have access to the evidence the state intends to use in the case against him on the charges of aggravated assault, false imprisonment, battery, and criminal trespass.
8/25/26
CALENDAR CALL SCHEDULED FOR 8/25/26
What this means: A calendar call has been scheduled for August 25, 2026 at 9:00 AM in Bartow Superior Court. A calendar call is a brief court appearance where the judge checks on the status of the case, confirms that both sides are ready to proceed, and addresses any scheduling or procedural issues. It typically occurs before trial to ensure all parties are prepared.
9/21/26
TRIAL CALENDAR SCHEDULED FOR 9/21/26
What this means: A trial calendar call has been scheduled for September 21, 2026 at 9:00 AM in Bartow Superior Court. A trial calendar is a court appearance held shortly before trial where the judge confirms that both the prosecution and defense are ready to proceed to trial, addresses any last-minute motions or issues, and finalizes trial logistics such as jury selection timing.