Michael Wooten

Name:
Wooten, Michael Vinson

Date of Booking:
08/10/2026

Reason(s) For Booking:
BURGLARY

CRIMINAL TRESPASS-FVA

CRUELTY TO CHILDREN – 3RD DEGREE ALLOW CHILD TO WITNESS CRIME OR FVA

FALSE IMPRISONMENT

SIMPLE BATTERY

WILLFUL OBSTRUCTION OF LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS

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 the date 08/10/2026 at or around 06:36 hours, I, Deputy Reynolds was dispatched to [REDACTED] for a physical domestic in progress. While enroute I was advised by Chattooga E-911 via public service that the caller was a juvenile and that they had heard the juvenile state that two males were fighting and that his mother was dead, I advised all responding units to use extreme caution upon arrival.

Deputy Dawson and I had arrived on scene at 06:46 hours, I instructed Deputy Dawson to cover the rear door of the residence while I went to the front door. I could not hear or see anyone in or around the residence. I walked up to the front porch of the residence and looked through the glass window and did see a small number of miscellaneous items lying throughout the living room area on the floor. I also noticed the front door handle was completely missing and as I touched that area, the front door slightly opened, and I knocked and announced my presence by stating “Sheriff’s Office” multiple times and instructed for anyone inside to make themselves known. I did not recieve an answer from inside the residence.

Around this time Deputy Garmany had arrived on scene and I advised him on what Chattooga E-911 had stated to me over the phone and that the last known contact that had been made was from the juvenile. Deputy Dawson had also reported that a white Tahoe was parked near the rear of the residence, and the engine was still warm. Deputy Garmany then attempted a call out via the P.A System on his patrol vehicle and I had dispatch attempt to call the last listed number to the suspected female victim and juveniles mother [VICTIM #1].

All attempts to contact anyone inside the residence failed. Deputy Garmany then repositioned to the front door with me and due to the exigent circumstances of the call the decision to enter the residence was made to check the health and safety of the juvenile and the mother who had been reported as deceased. As we pushed open the door, and prior to entering the residence Deputy Garmany announced one final time, “Anyone inside make yourself known Chattooga County Sheriff Office.”

I immediately heard movement from the bedroom that was located to right of the front door and heard a male voice state, “ok let me get some shoes.” I instructed him come out now to which he complied, and the male was identified as Michael Vinson Wooten. He stepped out onto the front porch, and I instructed him to step to where Deputy Garmany had just moved to located in the front yard. I also asked him who else was in the residence, and he said his girlfriend [VICTIM #1], who was later identified as [VICTIM #1] the reported deceased victim.

I then called out to [VICTIM #1] and she and her two-year-old juvenile daughter stepped out into view. I stated to [VICTIM #1] the reasons we were there and the 911 call that had been received. At this time Michael was escorted towards the patrol vehicles while being detained by Deputy Garmany. [VICTIM #1] stated there were two other juveniles inside the residence and I asked if I could enter the residence and she agreed. Once inside the residence she retrieved the two other children one male and one female. I then asked her to tell me what had happened this morning.

She stated she was out with Michael and that they were having an intimate meeting and that she had instructed him to drop her off at her driveway, that her children were home as well as her boyfriend [VICTIM #2] and he could not come inside. Instead, Michael pulled all the way down the driveway. She exited the vehicle and entered the rear door of the residence where [VICTIM #2] was waiting. After she entered [VICTIM #2] told Michael not to come inside the residence and attempted to shut the door. She continued to state that [VICTIM #2] had to force the door shut due to Michael still trying to enter.

Once the door was locked, [VICTIM #1] and [VICTIM #2] proceeded to walk towards the living room area, and Michael was able to gain entry through the door despite it being closed and locked. [VICTIM #1] mentioned that when Michael entered the residence, she noticed an object in his hand, and that he swung the object at [VICTIM #2]s head, but missed. She stated she couldn’t fully tell, but she believed it was a small wooden baseball bat.

She had placed the juveniles in one of the kids’ bedrooms. Then a physical altercation ensued between [VICTIM #2] and Michael. She then locked herself inside the bedroom with the juveniles and could hear [VICTIM #2] yelling, “Help me [VICTIM #1] help me”. She also mentioned that she had sent her juvenile son with her phone out of the residence to call 911, out of fear that if she attempted to exit and call for help that Michael would follow her and prevent her from making the phone call. I asked [VICTIM #1] where [VICTIM #2] was and she stated he had left and went to work.

I exited the residence to speak with Michael and had Deputy Dawson read him his Miranda Warning, and he consented to continue speaking to me. In his versions of events, he and [VICTIM #1] had been together for two days having intimate encounters and when he took her home, [VICTIM #2] was waiting on the front porch. A verbal argument began between [VICTIM #1] and [VICTIM #2] as they proceeded into the front door of the residence. Michael then proceeded to the rear of the residence and entered the home. He stated that he and [VICTIM #2] got into an argument and they went to the floor. Michael then stood up and would not allow [VICTIM #2] to stand up for several minutes.

Micheal denied ever striking [VICTIM #2], but I did observe redness on the knuckles of his left and right hand. I also asked about the item that was in his hand, that he was observed swinging at [VICTIM #2] and he stated that [VICTIM #2] was the one who had a bat and swung it at him. That the bat had struck him in the head, that’s when he took the bat away from [VICTIM #2] and had thrown it into his vehicle. However, there were no injuries or marks to the area he indicated he had been struck by the bat. He then stated that [VICTIM #2] then got up, left for work, and that he stayed in [VICTIM #1] and [VICTIM #2]s residence with [VICTIM #1] and her children.

I asked if he could not hear our call out or see the flashlights through the window, he stated he did not. I then asked if he could hear Deputy Garmany over the P.A. System, he began to say he did not but corrected himself and stated that he did. I asked him why he did not come out upon that order and why he waited until we were at the front door with the door open. He only stated that they were asleep when we used the P.A. System.

I returned inside and spoke to [VICTIM #1] further, she stated that they had both heard the callouts, and Michael instructed her not to go out and to not let them know we were there. I again asked about the object Michael was holding and swung at [VICTIM #2], this time she mentioned the object may have been metallic object.

I spoke to the juvenile son he stated he did not see the event between [VICTIM #2] and Michael but could hear [VICTIM #2] yelling. I also spoke to [VICTIM #1] eldest juvenile daughter that stated she could also hear yelling as well. The landlord of the property had then arrived, and she was able to get a hold of [VICTIM #2] on her personal cell phone. While speaking to [VICTIM #2] on the cell phone I had him describe to me his version of the event.

[VICTIM #2] stated that [VICTIM #1] had arrived home at the rear door of the residence and that she had been with Michael for a couple of days, leaving him alone to care for the children. After [VICTIM #1] stepped inside Michael began to try and enter the residence while [VICTIM #2] was telling him that he was not allowed to come inside. [VICTIM #2] forced the door closed and locked it. He stated that Michael was able to force himself into the residence from the rear door and he doesn’t know how he was able to because he had the door being locked.

He then said a fight ensued between the two of them, he was underneath Michael. After Michael stood up, he would not allow [VICTIM #2] to stand up or leave for several minutes. Until [VICTIM #2] stated that he was done and he was going to leave for work. [VICTIM #2] then left the residence and proceeded to leave and go to work.

I asked [VICTIM #2] if he saw Michael holding anything and he stated “no”, I asked if Michael had hit him with anything and he stated “no”. [VICTIM #2] stated the reason he believed this was since he had no open wounds or bleeding, and where he had been hit by Micheal, he believed it to be from Michael’s elbow during the physical altercation. I then asked [VICTIM #2] once he got off work if he could meet with a Deputy to fill out a witness statement of the events to which he agreed.

While speaking to [VICTIM #2] on the phone, Deputy Garmany, Deputy Dawson and Deputy Claxton remained with Michael, I was notified that a small baseball, and a metallic expandable tire iron (breaker bar) was located inside Michaels white Tahoe in plain view. Deputy Dawson also found minor damage to the rear door of the residence and took a picture of what appeared to be a boot print on the glass of the door.

Deputy Claxton transported Michael to the Chattooga County Jail but upon arrival Michael had stated that he had been hit in the head and back by a wooden ball bat by [VICTIM #2]. Jail medical staff made the decision to have him medically cleared at the Trion E.R. Deputy Dawson then transported Michael to the Trion E.R and back to the jail once clearance was obtained without incident.

[End of Narrative]