Michael Ray

Name:
Ray, Michael Franklin

Date of Booking:
04/07/2025

Reason(s) For Booking:
Aggravated Assault (FV)

Battery/Simple Battery Family Violence

Criminal Damage to Property 2nd (Business)

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 04/07/2025 at about 04:10 hours I, Deputy R. Hammontree, Deputy Burch, Cpl Vannoy, and SFC Watson responded to [4100 BLOCK] Brown Bridge Rd Lot [REDACTED] in reference to a physical disturbance involving a knife.

Before our arrival, Murray 911 advised us that Michael Ray got into a physical altercation with his sister [VICTIM #1] inside the residence. Murray 911 also advised that Michael had placed his hands around [VICTIM #1]’s neck and made her almost unresponsive but until [WITNESS #1] pushed Michael off of her and was able to get away and went to the mobile home a few blocks away from the location and barricaded herself inside. [VICTIM #1] advised that Michael was wielding a knife when she left her residence and was unsure if he still had it.

Upon our arrival, we made contact with [VICTIM #1] and [WITNESS #1] along with other female subjects that SFC Watson will report in his supplement. [VICTIM #1] expressed that Michael attacked her by punching her repeatedly in the face placing his hands around her neck and choking her. I observed open wounds and red and blue markings around her left eye, chin, and cheek area. I also observed markings as if she had been grabbed on her neck causing her to nearly black out, [VICTIM #1] stated that she was in fear for her life when she felt like she was about to pass out. After we spoke to [VICTIM #1] we asked her where Michael was and [VICTIM #1] stated that he was in the trailer at the end of the gravel driveway.

When we relocated to his residence, I then drew out my Taser X29000P3T due to the circumstances and knocked on the door to make contact with him. Michael approached the door with his hands up. I instructed him to come out onto the porch and face the wall near the front door while placing his hands behind his back and placing him in handcuffs while checking for proper fitting and double-locking them. I escorted him to the back seat of my patrol car. I read Michael his Miranda Warning and advised him of his rights and he informed me that he acted in self-defense because he was asleep in his bed when [VICTIM #1] woke him up by slapping him. He stated that he slapped her back and that was when he placed his hands on her throat and admitted that he had a strong grip on her throat. I asked him if she seemed like she could not breathe and he stated no. He stated that he acted in self-defense and that he wanted to press charges on her. The only marking I observed on his face was at the corner of his left eye. I then asked him at any time did he wield a knife and approached anyone inside the house while wielding it and he stated “What knife, I was acting in self-defense”. He stated that everything he had done was in self-defense.

Later SFC Watson, Deputy Burch, and Cpl Vanoy relocated back to the residence where [VICTIM #1] and [WITNESS #1] were located to ask them more in-depth questions about what happened and if they had seen him holding a knife. I stayed behind at the residence to look for any type of sharp-pointed weapon that could have been used during the altercation.

Later on, we obtained new information that Michael wielded a knife with a wooden handle and [VICTIM #1] heard the knife hit an object when she was running out of the residence to get away from him. After a while, the other officers and I were searching around the area and Deputy Burch located the knife with a wooden handle in front of the residence about 15 Ft away from the front porch. I collected the knife and submitted it into evidence. Cpl Vanoy advised me that Michael also damaged a Lenovo Thinkpad Laptop. Cpl Vanoy took photographs and sent them to me in reference to this case.

I escorted Michael to the Murray County Jail and charged him with
O.C.G.A 16-5-21 Aggravated Assault
O.C.G.A 16-5-21(F)(1) Battery Family Violence
O.C.G.A 16-7-23 Criminal Damage to property in the 2nd degree.

Michael was turned over to booking staff without incident. Photos that were taken will be uploaded to this report ad the charges will be issued on warrants.

[End of Narrative]