Carl Key

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Name:
Key, Carl L

Date of Booking:
05/17/2026

Reason(s) For Booking:
Aggravated Battery

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 05/16/26 at approximately 1421 hours I, Officer Wukoson #368, responded to 709 Breedlove Dr. (Ridgeview Institute) in reference to a reported assault. Dispatch advised that a 49 year-old female patient had been struck in the face by another patient, and that her jaw was bleeding and swollen. They further advised this occurred at 1354 hours in the Acute 2 West hall way.

Upon arrival I spoke with [WITNESS #1], Patient Advocate, who escorted me upstairs along with EMS personnel. I was initially told that I could not enter into the hallway to speak with the victim, [REDACTED BY AGENCY] as I was armed. EMS proceeded into the hallway to speak with Ms. [REDACTED BY AGENCY] and place her on a stretcher. While I waited, another call for service came out regarding a person shot (MPD Case #26M011041). At this time I expressed to Mr. [WITNESS #1] that I needed to conduct my investigation as quickly as possible. He then allowed me into the hallway.

Ms. [REDACTED BY AGENCY] had already been loaded onto the stretcher and I observed that she had a visible injury to her lower lip, with the skin broken and bloodied. I also observed a faint red mark on Ms. [REDACTED BY AGENCY] chin. Her eyes were half closed, and she appeared lethargic and disoriented. I took a photograph of her face, and attempted to ask her what had occurred as I followed EMS downstairs. (Of note, upon closer observation of the photograph, Ms. [REDACTED BY AGENCY] right eye was turned to the right side of her body, while her left eye remained straight.)

Ms. [REDACTED BY AGENCY] attempted to speak, but did not seem oriented and was not coherent. It was unclear to me if this was due to her previous mental state or her injury. Mr. [WITNESS #1] expressed surprised at this, stating that she had been talking prior to the assault. I asked Mr. [WITNESS #1] if Ridgeview had sedated her in some way and he replied they had not.

EMS then transported Ms. [REDACTED BY AGENCY] to Piedmont Walton. Mr. [WITNESS #1] then took me into a back office to show me CCTV footage of the incident. The video begins at 13:51:30 hours and shows a white male patient, who Mr. [WITNESS #1] identified as Carl Key, walking around the Acute 2 West hallway. Mr. Key is seen walking past Ms. [REDACTED BY AGENCY] who follows behind him. Both then walk towards a seated staff member (at the time of the call, given the clarity of the CCTV footage, I did not identify this staff member), and Ms. [REDACTED BY AGENCY] speaks briefly with the staff member.

At 13:52:48, Mr. Key begins walking away, back down the hallway. Ms. [REDACTED BY AGENCY] follows him, and appears to he trying to speak with him (no audio was available). At 13:52:51, Mr. Key then bends his knees in an athletic, fighting stance, shifts his weight onto his lead foot, and swings his entire body around to his right while raising his right arm, shifting his weight onto his trail foot, and strikes Ms. [REDACTED BY AGENCY] hard about her face using his forearm. Ms. [REDACTED BY AGENCY] falls backwards, landing on her left elbow and then the back of her head, as Mr. Key stumbles. Ms. [REDACTED BY AGENCY] then immediately places her hands on her face and remains on the ground. Mr. Key then walks away. Mr. [WITNESS #1] then confirmed that Mr. Key was currently being held involuntarily under a 1014 order.

At that time, being unable to speak with Ms. [REDACTED BY AGENCY]. I returned to service in order to assist with the gunshot wound call. My intention was to follow up either later that date or early the next date with Ms. [REDACTED BY AGENCY] with the hope she would be able to speak more coherently, in order to get her version of events and ask if she wished to pursue charges against Mr. Key.

The next morning, 05/17/26, at 0803 hours, I arrived at Piedmont Walton for a follow-up. I spoke to ER nursing staff, and asked if Ms. [REDACTED BY AGENCY] was still there. I was advised that she was no longer there, and ER personnel looked up her file to see where she had gone. Once she pulled up the file and began reading it, the nurse appeared completely shocked. She then advised me that Ms. [REDACTED BY AGENCY] had been transferred to Northside Gwinnet Hospital with life-altering internal injuries to her head, stating that people “don’t come back” from this type of injury.

I then contacted Sergeant Silverberg #325 and relayed my findings to him. He then contacted Sergeant Reynolds #322 (CID) to explain the situation. After discussion, it was determined that a warrant would be taken against Carl Key for OCGA 16-5-24. Aggravated Battery. I then returned to Ridgeview to speak with staff. They confirmed that Mr. Key was still being held at the facility, but advised that no supervisor or doctor was present at the time. They then advised me that they would be contacting supervisors regarding releasing the 1014 order and discharging Mr. Key.

At the time of this report, Detective Caldwell #346 was en route to Northside Gwinnett in an attempt to gather further information.

[End of Narrative]

All information is sourced directly from the official, public court database. Case history is organized and curated by The Georgia Gazette staff. The “What this means:” explanations are written by AI and reviewed by our staff before publishing.

Court records are subject to change at the court’s discretion. The Georgia Gazette is not responsible for errors or omissions. Nothing here is legal advice. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Case History:

5/19/26

PUBLIC DEFENDER APPOINTED TO REPRESENT CARL LEWIS KEY

What this means: The Walton County Superior Court reviewed Carl Lewis Key’s application for a court-appointed attorney and determined that he qualifies as indigent — meaning he does not have the financial means to hire a private lawyer. As a result, the Office of the Public Defender was appointed to represent him on the aggravated battery charge and any other related charges brought by the State in this case. The Public Defender’s Office is located at 303 S. Hammond Dr., Suite 98, Monroe, GA 30655. This order was signed by a designee of the court on May 18, 2026, and filed on May 19, 2026, under case number SUWR2026001346 in Walton County Superior Court.