Stephen Watson

Name:
Watson, Stephen James

Date of Booking:
06/28/2026

Reason(s) For Booking:
AGGRAVATED ASSAULT

BATTERY-FAMILY VIOLENCE (1ST OFFENSE)

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 6/28/26 I, DS I Gillespie 090, reappoint to 6 Herring Rd in reference to a family dispute between Stephen Watson (offender) and [REDACTED BY AGENCY] (victim).

Watson was the initial caller. I made contact with him in the parking lot. He told me that he and [REDACTED BY AGENCY] his boyfriend with whom he lives, have been drinking and having arguments throughout the night. At some point, one of their dogs chewed through a power cable and [REDACTED BY AGENCY] punched a hole in the wall near the bathroom.

This morning, Watson woke [REDACTED BY AGENCY] up because he was going to ask him to leave. Watson said [REDACTED BY AGENCY] stood up very quickly, which made Watson believe [REDACTED BY AGENCY] may be about to physically attack him so he pushed [REDACTED BY AGENCY] back down onto the bed, left the room, and called 911 hoping we could remove him.

Watson said [REDACTED BY AGENCY] did not threaten him, nor did he perceive the hole he punched in the wall as a threat directed to him. He said he believed [REDACTED BY AGENCY] was simply angry about the property destruction. Based on the statements from both [REDACTED BY AGENCY] and Watson, it did not appear that punching the wall met the statutory requirement for simple assault.

I made contact with [REDACTED BY AGENCY] in their hotel room, which was on the second story. [REDACTED BY AGENCY] asked if I was going to make him leave, and I informed him I would like to talk about what happened first. I asked him about punching the wall, and he admitted he did this. He said he was angry that their dog chewed his power cable, and he did not intend it as a threat towards Watson or any other person. [REDACTED BY AGENCY] showed me the hole, which was next to the bathroom door and appeared to be approximate side of his fist.

I detained [REDACTED BY AGENCY] for criminal trespass, for damaging Motel 6 property, while we determined if the business wanted to prosecute. DS Kirby spoke to employees, who initially said they would like to prosecute but changed their decision almost immediately. I released [REDACTED BY AGENCY] and intended to document the dispute as a noncriminal matter.

As I sat back in my vehicle, I heard male voices shouting, a loud thud, followed by a door opening and the sound of footsteps running towards the front of the hotel, away from me. I suspected this may have been from [REDACTED BY AGENCY] and Watson’s room, and I went to check on them.

[REDACTED BY AGENCY] answered the door. His shirt was off, I could see red marks on his chest, and he appeared to be out of breath. I asked what happened, and he could not provide an intelligible response. I suspected Watson may have assaulted [REDACTED BY AGENCY] and fled the scene, so I requested a cover unit and began checking the area.

I located Watson in the front office. He had a ripped shirt, but did not appear to have any other injuries. I asked him what happened, and he said things “got physical” and [REDACTED] ripped his shirt. He would not explain further than to say things “got physical”. I relocated Watson to the parking lot, and asked him if he would be OK sitting in my car while I spoke to [REDACTED BY AGENCY]. He agreed.

I asked [REDACTED BY AGENCY] to tell me what happened. Initially he would only say that he went in to get their dogs, and would provide no further explanation. I have received training in family violence investigations, and am aware that long term victims of abuse will avoid saying anything that might incriminate their abusers. While attempting to interview [REDACTED BY AGENCY] I noticed purple-red discoloration an swelling around the outside corner of his left eye, and bright red discoloration around his throat.

[REDACTED BY AGENCY] would eventually provide additional details, and he said that when he went into the room and picked up one of the dogs, Watson said he wasn’t taking any of the dogs. He grabbed [REDACTED BY AGENCY] around the throat, struck him in the face, and pushed him down and tore off his hoodie. These statements are consistent with the marks on [REDACTED BY AGENCY] body.

I am multi-certified as a basic, intermediate, and advanced officer and have received training and annual updates on use of force and control tactics, which includes blocks of instruction on chokes. I am aware that force applied to a persons throat is likely to result in death or serious injuries such as bruising or crushing of the trachea. Because of the inherant dangers associated with chokes, both airway and blood chokes are considered deadly force when used offensively against a person.

Based on the detailed evidence, I placed Mr Watson under arrest for aggravated assault and battery, FVA. He was searched incident to arrest and transported to the Coweta County jail. Photographs were taken of both subjects.

No acts were committed in the presence of children. No court orders are in effect. There is no recorded history of family violence history for the involved parties.

[End of Narrative]