Rickey Bryant

Name:
Bryant, Rickey Allen David

Date of Booking:
01/04/2025

Reason(s) For Booking:
Reckless Conduct

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.]

Saturday 01-04-2025 at 1634 I was dispatched to [30 BLOCK] Matthews Rd in reference to someone being shot.

Upon arrival I made contact with [WITNESS #1] who handed me an unloaded 22 revolver with two empty shell casings and 4 live rounds. [WITNESS #1] stated that he took the gun away from his father Willie King and unloaded it. [WITNESS #1] says that he was in an argument with his half brother [VICTIM #1] when Willie stepped in and told them to stop arguing. [WITNESS #1] says he initially went outside to fight [VICTIM #1], but ended up walking down the street to get away from the argument. [WITNESS #1] says he was picked up by his mother and notified that [VICTIM #1] had been shot by Willie. When [WITNESS #1] got back to the house he says that’s when he took the gun away from Willie. [WITNESS #1] says he was still standing in the yard when Rickey Bryant pulled into the front yard at a high rate of speed. [WITNESS #1] says Rickey got out of the truck and was confronted by [VICTIM #1] who tried taking a gun away from Rickey. [WITNESS #1] says he heard two shots from Rickey’s gun, but they went into the ground.

I spoke with Willie who stated that after he confronted [WITNESS #1] and [VICTIM #1] about arguing, that [VICTIM #1] shifted focus to him. Willie says that he tried walking away from [VICTIM #1], but that [VICTIM #1] followed him through the yard yelling at him and threatening to “beat his a*s”. Willie says he stopped several times and told [VICTIM #1] to leave him alone and to go away. Willie claims he turned around and [VICTIM #1] had raised his arm above his shoulder as if to strike Willie, so Willie pulled out his gun and shot [VICTIM #1]. Willie says after he shot [VICTIM #1], he walked away from him as [VICTIM #1] continued to yell at him.

I spoke with Rickey who stated that he was notified by [WITNESS #2] that Willie had shot [VICTIM #1], so they drove over to the residence on Matthews Rd. Rickey says he pulled out his pistol and planned on shooting Willie, but was stopped by [VICTIM #1]. Rickey says that [VICTIM #1] tried to take the pistol away from him to keep him from shooting Willie, but he resisted and the pistol ended up firing two shots into the ground. Rickey had three empty shell casings in his truck and two live rounds. Rickey says he keeps an empty casing in the pistol as a safety if the trigger is pulled. Rickey advised that after he unloaded his pistol, he called 911.

I spoke with [WITNESS #2] who stated that she didn’t realize that Rickey had a gun until he got out of the truck. [WITNESS #2] says that [VICTIM #1] tried to take the gun away from Rickey and that’s when shots were fired into the ground.

[VICTIM #1] and [WITNESS #3] had left prior to my arrival and went to Piedmont Cartersville to get treatment for [VICTIM #1]’s gun shot wound. Deputies made contact with them and took statements from both subjects.

[VICTIM #1] was initially uncooperative and refused to give a statement, but finally gave some information. [VICTIM #1] advised that he was arguing with Willie in the yard, but that Willie turned around and shot him unprovoked. [VICTIM #1] also stated that Rickey never had a gun or fired any shots.

[WITNESS #3] told deputies that she was inside when she heard gunshots and was met at the front door by [VICTIM #1] who advised her that he had just been shot by Willie.

Doctors told deputies at the hospital that [VICTIM #1] gun shot wound was minimal, that it went in and out, missing any vital organs or bone.

After brief discussion, it was determined that the level of force used by Willie against [VICTIM #1] was not justified, so Willie was placed under arrest for Aggravated Assault FVA. Ricky was also placed under arrest for Reckless Conduct. Both were placed in separate patrol cars and transported to the Bartow County Jail.

Both revolvers and all shell casings were collected and placed into evidence.

[End of Narrative]