Name:
Graham, Niajuan Leneil
Date of Booking:
07/15/2022
Reason(s) For Booking:
RECEIPT, POSSESSION OR TRANSPORT OF FIREARM BY CONVICTED FELON OR FELONY FIRST OFFENDER, ETC – F
Loitering Or Prowling – M
OBSTRUCTION – M
SIMPLE BATTERY AGAINST LEO/LE DOG/CO – M
SIMPLE BATTERY AGAINST LEO/LE DOG/CO – M
SEXUAL BATTERY – M
SEXUAL BATTERY – M
Officer’s Narrative:
[Please note: The following is a direct transcription from the officer’s narrative report. We do not fix any spelling or grammatical errors. Any changes made by our staff are placed inside brackets. Some errors may exist.]
I, Corporal J. Eblin, responded to a report of a prowler at [2000 BLOCK] East 62nd Street. Dispatch notes described the suspect as a black male, wearing all black clothing on a bicycle carrying a handgun. While responding to the area I observed a black male, later identified as Mr. Nijajuan Graham, matching that description near East 57th Street and Puerto Rico Street. Upon arrival on scene I activated my body worn camera and began to investigate, I first made contact with Ms. [VICTIM #1].
Ms. [VICTIM #1] advised she was at her residence located at [2000 BLOCK] East 62nd Street when Mr. Graham drove his bicycle into the driveway of the residence several times. Ms. [VICTIM #1] advised that Mr. Graham appeared to be looking around her cars in the driveway and was holding a handgun while in her driveway.
Ms. [VICTIM #2], who also resides at [2000 BLOCK] East 62nd Street advised that she had seen Mr. Graham performing similar acts in the neighborhood on prior dates. Ms. [VICTIM #2] advised that on 07/15/2022, just prior to entering the driveway of the residence at [2000 BLOCK] East 62nd Street, she observed Mr. Graham enter the driveway of [1900 BLOCK] East 62nd Street and enter the backyard area.
Both Ms. [VICTIM #2] and Ms. [VICTIM #1] advised they did not know Mr. Graham and retreated into their residence out of fear and called 911.
Ms. [VICTIM #1] showed me tire marks in the dirt of the driveway that she advised were from Mr. Graham’s bicycle. The marks were consistent with bicycle tires and lead from the street all the way to the vehicles parked in the driveway.
I advised backup Officers of the last location I observed Mr. Graham and began to relocate to that area.
APO Geisler found Mr. Graham on East 56th Street at Ward Street and conducted a subject stop. I arrived at that location and found APO Geisler speaking to Mr. Graham. Mr. Graham appeared nervous, with profuse sweating and evasive answers to APO Geisler’s questions. Mr. Graham continually tugged at his shirt, pulling the bottom hem down.
Upon arrival of Corporal Lambert, Mr. Graham became more nervous and began to display pre-flight indicators. Mr. Graham began to shift his weight on his feet and appeared to reposition himself on his bicycle. Mr. Graham looked around and past the Officer’s on scene, giving the appearance of looking for a flight path. When APO Geisler asked Mr. Graham for identification, Mr. Graham became verbally resistant and questioned why Officer’s needed his identification. After APO Geisler asked Mr. Graham if he was in possession of any weapons, Mr. Graham assumed a riding position on the bicycle and attempted to ride away.
APO Geisler was able to grab Mr. Graham briefly before Mr. Graham pulled away, dropped the bicycle and started to flee on foot. APO Geisler appeared to draw his department issued handgun, providing for lethal cover on Mr. Graham.
At this point in time, I had not observed Mr. Graham to have produced a handgun, however, Mr. Graham’s appearance and behavior combined with the statements given by Ms. [VICTIM #1] and Ms. [VICTIM #2] provided reasonable suspicion that Mr. Graham was in possession of a handgun.
I determined that Mr. Graham needed to be stopped in his attempt to flee and detained in order to cease his ability to draw a weapon or escalate the situation any further. I drew my department issued Taser, painted Mr. Graham with the targeting lasers and deployed a single set of Taser probes.
Mr. Graham began to run, indicating the probes were ineffective, however Mr. Graham was dragging the Taser wires behind him as he fled. Mr. Graham continued to flee and drew a black and silver in color handgun from his waistband and held it in his right hand. I holstered my Taser and immediately began to air the updates and description of Mr. Graham as well as requesting additional units to the area while giving chase to Mr. Graham.
Mr. Graham fled North on Ward Street before turning East on East 52nd Street, with APO Geisler, Corporal Lambert and myself pursuing on foot.
Near Myers Middle School (2025 East 52nd Street) Mr. Graham threw the handgun into the middle of the roadway. Corporal Lambert recovered the handgun and secured it. Mr. Graham then turned north, into the driveway of the Wilmington Missionary Baptist Church cemetery located at East 52nd Street and Skidaway Road. Mr. Graham continued to flee through the cemetery, eastbound toward Skidaway Road.
Mr. Graham continued to flee eastbound, across Skidaway Road and into the Carey Hilliards parking lot located at 3316 Skidaway Road.
Officer Ostrikis and Officer Florio were able locate and arrest Mr. Graham in the parking lot of the Carey Hilliards. I maintained visual contact with Mr. Graham until the point he was arrested.
Mr. Graham was immediately belligerent and began to curse and berate the Officer’s. Mr. Graham threatened the Officer’s and accused them of racism while attempting to move Mr. Graham to the transport area of a marked Police Vehicle. Mr. Graham twisted his body and resisted Officer’s attempts to guide him as well as tensed his body and pushed away from Officer’s while attempting to search him incident to the arrest. While APO Geisler was attempting to speak to Mr. Graham, Mr. Graham turned and spit into APO Geisler’s face.
I located a single Taser probe on Mr. Graham’s right shoulder blade area. I removed the probe and ensured the barbs were intact before Officer Ostrikis was able to secure the probe and the Taser cartridge. Corporal Lambert later advised he had located the second Taser probe, which appeared to have been caught in Mr. Grahams clothing. Taser cartridge SN: C620A0AEM was secured and logged into the SPD Property Room as Evidence.
Mr. Graham was irate that he was arrested. Mr. Graham repeatedly screamed at Officer’s and appeared to be trying to converse with them about the handgun that he had possessed. I rolled down the transport area window and was attempting to explain to Mr. Graham that I wanted to speak to him, but needed to read him the Miranda Warning. Mr. Graham then spit in my face. I rolled the transport area window back up and ceased efforts to speak to Mr. Graham.
Chatham EMS responded and attempted to assess Mr. Graham, who was belligerent and refused to cooperate.
Mr. Graham was transported to Memorial Medical Center for medical clearance prior to being transported to CCDC.
I took possession of the handgun that Mr. Graham had dropped while fleeing. The handgun was found to be a Browning 9mm (SN:245NX82248) which contained eleven (11) 9mm rounds in the magazine and an additional round loaded in the chamber for a total of twelve (12) 9mm rounds. Corporal Holler was able to secure the slide of the handgun and allow for it to be logged into Evidence at the SPD Property Room.
Mr. Graham was confirmed to be a convicted Felon through Teletype as well as his probation Officer. Mr. Graham was charged with the following:
-Felon in possession of a handgun (O.C.G.A 16-11-131) for possession of the handgun.
-Obstruction by fleeing (O.C.G.A 16-10-24) for fleeing from APO Geisler, Corporal Lambert and myself.
-Loitering and Prowling (O.C.G.A 16-10-36) for prowling at [2000 BLOCK] East 62nd Street, causing Ms. [VICTIM #1] and Ms. [VICTIM #2] to retreat into their residence out of fear.
-Simple Battery against LEO (two counts) (O.C.G.A 16-5-23). One count for spitting in APO Geisler’s face while attempting to search Mr. Graham and a second count for spitting in my face while I attempted to speak to him.
SPD Supervisors responded to the scene. I completed a BlueTeam Use of Force report for the failed Taser deployment.
My body worn camera was active for the duration of the investigation.
SPD Supervisor responded to the scene.
[End of Narrative]