Gary Shaffer

Name:
Shaffer, Gary Allen

Date of Booking:
09/09/2025

Reason(s) For Booking:
CRUELTY TO CHILDREN-2ND DEGREE-NEGLIGENTLY CAUSING EXCESSIVE PHYSICAL OR MENTAL PAIN

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.]

Upon arrival, I made contact with Ms. [REDACTED], who informed me that the purpose of the visit was to conduct a welfare check on the children residing at the apartment. Ms. [REDACTED] reported that, upon their approach, they heard two adults inside the apartment actively engaged in a loud argument, which appeared to involve both a male and a female.

I approached the door and knocked. Crystal Shaffer (later placed under arrest) answered the door. I observed that Ms. Shaffer appeared visibly upset, with tears in her eyes and multiple bruises visible on her neck and arms. When questioned about the situation, Ms. Shaffer stated that she and her husband, Gary Shaffer (also later placed under arrest), had been arguing.

I requested that Ms. Shaffer step outside and inquired about Mr. Shaffer’s location. Ms. Shaffer called him out, and Mr. Shaffer emerged from the bathroom. Upon his appearance at the doorway, I observed that he, too, had multiple bruises on his neck, face, and arms, as well as dried blood present near his left ear. When asked about the injury, Mr. Shaffer claimed it resulted from play-fighting with the children. At that time, two juveniles exited the apartment; Mr. Shaffer identified them as his sons, who appeared to be approximately 12 and 5 years of age.

I separated both parties to ensure the safety of all individuals while Ms. [REDACTED] conducted her investigation regarding the welfare of the children. Deputy Futch (SO22) arrived on scene to assist with the investigation. During my interview with Mr. Shaffer, I inquired whether the argument had taken place in front of the children. Mr. Shaffer stated that they were in the bathroom during the incident, but admitted that sometimes arguments do occur in the presence of the children. When asked about the cause of the argument, Mr. Shaffer stated that it began due to running out of cigarettes.

When I interviewed Ms. Shaffer, she stated that the argument began after Mr. Shaffer went through her phone. She asked him to return her phone, explaining that there was a history of distrust between them. According to Ms. Shaffer, she then grabbed Mr. Shaffer by the back of the neck and pulled him down, at which point Mr. Shaffer allegedly grabbed her by the neck and squeezed, causing her to gasp for air. Ms. Shaffer further stated that she then retaliated by grabbing Mr. Shaffer’s neck in a similar manner. When questioned about whether this altercation occurred in front of the children, Ms. Shaffer confirmed that such incidents happen in the presence of the children regularly. She added that Mr. Shaffer would likely deny the events to avoid getting into trouble.

Based on the information obtained, I made the decision to place both Mr. and Ms. Shaffer under arrest for cruelty to children in the second degree, as both allowed the children to witness their verbal and physical altercations. Both parties also admitted that they permitted the children to physically wrestle with them. During the investigation, I observed a small bruise on the 12-year-old child’s arm. The children were subsequently taken into protective custody by Ms. [REDACTED] in accordance with Judge Jones’s orders. Upon briefly inspecting the apartment, I observed that the living space was in significant disarray and appeared not to have been cleaned for several days.

Both Mr. and Ms. Shaffer were transported to the McDuffie County Jail, where they were processed and booked on charges of cruelty to children in the second degree. Arrest warrants were prepared, applied for, and obtained from Judge Moore. Upon completion of the booking process, both parties were formally served with their respective warrants.

[End of Narrative]