Jonnie Hanks

Name:
Hanks, Jonnie

Date of Booking:
11/01/2024

Reason(s) For Booking:
COUNTY ORDINANCE-DISORDERLY 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.]

On October 31, 2024 at 1958 hours, I received a call to the complainant’s ([VICTIM #1]) residence in reference to the neighbor being loud and arguing with the complainant. I had already received a call last night (October 30, 2024) out here with the offender (Jonnie Hanks) being the complainant and offender then and issued a verbal warning to him. When I arrived at [VICTIM #1]’s residence tonight, she showed me a video of Jonnie walking at the edge of his property close to the dirt road in between his residence and her residence yelling what sounded like gibberish. I could not understand anything he was saying.

I walked over to his residence along with Deputy Steedley and we got his side of the story. He appeared, sounded like, and smelled like he was highly intoxicated on some type of alcoholic beverage. He stated that he was not trying to argue with the complainant nor anyone in her family. He stated that he was practicing his right to be religious and speak to God. During this time, Jonnie also had his music very loud again. I told him that he was disturbing his neighbors and he insisted that he has a right to practice his religion. I tried over and over again to explain to him that he can practice his religion all he wants to as long as he does not disturb his neighbors.

Jonnie did not seem to be understanding what I was saying. I finally told him that he just needs to keep the noise down so it does not disturb the neighbors and he stated that he would just go inside and go to bed. He then made another comment that he has a right to practice his religion as loud as he wants to. After several times of trying to get Jonnie to understand what I was saying, I told him that he would go to jail if I get another call out here tonight for him disturbing his neighbors.

On this same date at 2137 hours, I received another call back out to Jonnie’s residence in reference to him bothering his neighbors again. We went to his residence first and he stated that he had not been disturbing his neighbors. Deputy Steedley stayed with Jonnie and I walked across the road to speak with [VICTIM #1] and [VICTIM #2] again. [VICTIM #1] played me a video of Jonnie saying that he was going to destroy them ([VICTIM #1] and [VICTIM #2]). I went back across the road and advised Deputy Steedley that Jonnie had made a comment that he was going to destroy [VICTIM #1] and [VICTIM #2]. We then advised Jonnie that he was under arrest for the listed charge.

Deputy Steedley transported Jonnie to the jail for me and I stayed a few more minutes to speak with Jonnie’s partner [REDACTED]. I told him that Jonnie would be staying in jail for at least 8 hours because he is currently intoxicated and I wanted him to be sober when he got out of jail. I explained the disorderly conduct charge to him and explained to him how to go about bonding Jonnie out of jail. I gave him a list of two bail bondsmen in case he wanted use one of them. He asked me if he gets the money back that he gives to the bondsman and I told him that he would not get it back. I further told him that if he has a piece of property solely in his name, that he can use that to bond Jonnie out of jail. He was also advised of the dollar amount required if he was going to pay cash to get Jonnie out of jail.

[End of Narrative]