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Name:
Merritt, Micah Jahari
Date of Booking:
02/20/2025
Reason(s) For Booking:
FALSE STATEMENTS OR WRITINGS; CONCEAL FACTS OR FRAUDULENT DOCUMENTS IN MATTERS OF GOVERNMENT
HIT AND RUN; DUTY OF DRIVER TO STOP AT OR RETURN TO SCENE OF ACCIDENT
Following too Closely
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 January 30, 2025, at 10:22 PM, Officer John Hunter of the Rome Police Department was dispatched to a hit-and-run accident at the intersection of Turner McCall Boulevard and Broad Street in Rome, Georgia.
At the scene, Officer Hunter met with [VICTIM #1], the driver of a 2011 Hyundai Elantra (license plate [REDACTED]). Ms. [VICTIM #1] stated that she was driving on Turner McCall Boulevard, approaching the intersection with Broad Street, when her vehicle was struck from behind by a large, black Ford truck. The impact occurred while she had a green light. After the collision, Ms. [VICTIM #1] pulled her car onto West 1st Street. The driver of the black truck, described as a Black male in his early twenties, exited his vehicle and told Ms. [VICTIM #1] that he was a firefighter with the Rome Fire Department, urging her not to contact the police. Ms. [VICTIM #1] informed him that she had already called the police, at which point the driver got back into his truck and fled the scene.
Officer Hunter documented the damage to Ms. [VICTIM #1]’s vehicle, and collected her driver’s license information and a detailed statement. He then left the scene to search for the suspect vehicle. Before doing so, Officer Hunter contacted his brother, who is also an employee of the Rome Fire Department, to inquire about any Black male employees who drive a black Ford truck matching the description provided by Ms. [VICTIM #1]. Officer Hunter’s brother provided information about Micah Jahari Merritt, a Rome firefighter who drives a similar vehicle. While searching westbound on Turner McCall Boulevard, Officer Hunter noticed a large, black Ford truck in the parking lot of the Applebee’s restaurant. He ran the truck’s registration tag through GCIC and discovered it was registered to [REDACTED]. Officer Hunter then entered Applebee’s and asked for the driver of the truck to identify themselves. Micah Jahari Merritt came forward.
Officer Hunter spoke with Mr. Merritt about his involvement in a possible hit and run accident that occurred at Turner McCall Blvd and Broad St. Mr. Merritt denied being in an accident, and stated that he had just drove through that area to come to Applebee’s. Mr. Merritt also stated he had been at Applebee’s since approximately 10pm. After the interaction, Mr. Merritt returned to Applebee’s and Officer Hunter left the scene.
On January 31st, 2025, Officer Hunter reached out to the Special Operations Unit for assistance with investigating the accident. At that point, the investigation was turned over to me. The investigation is ongoing.
[End of Narrative]