Mark Dempsey

Name:
Dempsey, Mark James

Date of Booking:
01/25/2026

Reason(s) For Booking:
AGGRAVATED ASSAULT – F

AGGRAVATED ASSAULT – F

HOME INVASION – 1ST DEGREE – F

BURGLARY – 1ST DEGREE – F

TERRORISTIC THREATS AND ACTS – F

POSSESSION OF FIREARM OR KNIFE DURING COMMISSION OF OR ATTEMPT TO COMMIT CERTAIN FELONIES – F

FALSE REPORT OF A CRIME – M

SIMPLE ASSAULT – M

SIMPLE ASSAULT – M

CRIMINAL TRESPASS – M

Disorderly Conduct – M

AGGRAVATED STALKING – F

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 01/25/26 while on unifromed patrol in the city of Savannah I was dispatched to call for a reported hostage situation.

I activated my lights and sirens and drove down to the area of [200 BLOCK] Avery Street. Upon my arrival I noticed an individual walking across the field next to Randolph Street and East Oglethorpe Avenue.

I parked my marked patrol unit on the West bound curb of East Oglethorpe and that’s when the subject, later identified as Mr. Mark Dempsey, made his way over in my direction. He was asked if he was the one who called, and he stated that he was and that four black male individuals and one black female were holding his wife, Mrs. [VICTIM #1], hostage at [200 BLOCK] Avery Street. (Mr. Dempsey was able to show us the he had the GPS location of his wife’s phone and traced it back to the apartment.)

Mr. Dempsey stated that he went to the apartment and tried to gain contact and that the individuals, and they pointed guns at him and told him to not comeback. He also advised me that he was pushed off the 2nd floor guard rail and complained of back and shoulder pain (I asked Mr. Dempsey if I could check person to see visible signs of injuries and I did not see anything on him that indicated he fell from the height of a second story building).

When asked when the was last time he seen or contacted his wife he said Friday (01/23/26). I asked Mr. Dempsey if could describe what the males and the female looked like he stated that everything happened so fast that he could not give a good description of the individuals or describe what the gun looked like.

He was asked again by Ofc. Wall when was the last time he contacted his wife, he said he stated that it was this morning and then changed his answer to Friday. Mr. Dempsey was kept getting upset and pacing (I noticed that he had trouble maintaining balance) he kept asking to leave the scene and Ofc. Wall informed him that he was not and he was part of this ongoing investigation (At this time Officers were at the apartment and contacted the tenants and Ms. [VICTIM #1]).

Officer Ellis, who was investigating what happened at [200 BLOCK] Avery Street, began to inform me that all parties at the apartment stated that there was no hostage situation and that Mrs. [VICTIM #1] was attempting to get away and seek shelter from Mr. Dempsey because of a previous domestic case that happened in December (I later found out that Mr. Dempsey was out on bond because of this case and one of the stipulations was that he did not have contact with his wife).

I was also informed that Mrs. [VICTIM #1] stated that she received a message from Mr. Dempsey stating that he was going to kill her. When asked if she could provide the message, she stated that she couldn’t and that Mr. Dempsey was able to access her messages through his phone and delete the message. The tenants of the apartment also stated that Mr. Dempsey forced his way into the occupied apartment with the intent of contacting Mrs. [VICTIM #1] and brandished a knife when he then had raised over his head in an assaultive manner (Two if the individuals stated they were in fear of receiving great bodily injury).

It was reported that Mr. Dempsey swung the knife at some of the individuals in the apartment. They told him that he needed to leave and he did not want to comply.

Mr. Dempsey was placed under arrest for Aggravated assault (O.C.G.A 16-5-21), Home invasion (O.C.G.A 16-7-5), Burglary (O.C.G.A 16-7-1), Terroristic threats (O.C.G.A 16-11-37), Aggravated stalking (O.C.G.A 16-5-91 (B)), Possession of a knife during the commission of a felony (O.C.G.A 16-11-106), False report of a crime (O.C.G.A 16-10-26), Simple assault (O.C.G.A 16-5-20), Criminal trespass (O.C.G.A 16-7-21), Disorderly conduct (O.C.G.A 16-11-39), Aggravated assault (DVA) (O.C.G.A 16-5-21).

[End of Narrative]