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Former Jonesboro officer charged in deadly Atlanta hit-and-run given days to turn himself in – WSB-TV Channel 2

Abari Meade died after being involved in two hit-and-runs minutes apart in downtown Atlanta.

“It’s hard. It’s hard. It’s really hard,” said Abari’s uncle, Desmond Meade. Channel 2’s Tom Jones. The uncle says his family is going through a difficult time with the death of his nephew.

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They are also embarrassed by the past of the person accused of ending their life.

“This is what is most disturbing for me personally and for the rest of the family. Understanding that Mr. Newsom was a former police officer,” Desmond Meade said Channel 2 Action News.

Former Jonesboro police officer Godreque Newsom faces felony charges of vehicular homicide, hit-and-run, reckless driving and speeding.

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Abari Meade was out with friends on May 26. Around midnight, a car hit his car on the connector near 17th Street.

“This car left the scene,” Abari’s uncle pointed out.

Abari Meade Facetimed her mother and she told her to call 911.

Police said that while Abari waited for officers, Newsom’s Suburban crossed from the northbound I-75 lanes into the northbound I-85 lanes and struck him. Officers say Newsom was driving 80 miles per hour in a 55 mile per hour zone.

They say Newsom fled the scene. Leaving behind his Chevrolet Suburban where officers say they found blood on the airbag.

Police said that four days later, Newsom called them to tell them he was involved in the deadly collision.

Abari’s family says Newsom was allowed to turn himself in six days later.

“He was allowed to surrender, provided he was given time to surrender. He was given time to assemble his legal team, while all the while the family is mourning Abari’s death,” she said. said Desmond Meade.

The family wants justice.

They wonder what Newsom was trying to hide by leaving the scene. And for him to leave my nephew on the side of the road to die is completely unacceptable,” Meade said.

Jones contacted APD for comment and they provided the following statement:

“Investigators identified Newsom as a suspect in this case and were able to obtain warrants for his arrest on June 4, 2024. Contact was made with Newsom and his attorney, to inform Newsom that he had warrants for his arrest against him and work to bring Newsom into custody. jail. On June 6, 2024, Newsom turned himself in to the Fulton County Jail.

In cases where a suspect and his attorney communicate with investigators, investigators will often attempt to convince the suspect to turn himself in to police once warrants are obtained. As these efforts are made, investigators also begin to prepare for the possibility that the suspect will attempt to delay the process or not surrender. In these cases, our fugitive unit would likely be engaged to execute a warrant operation. The goal is to apprehend the suspect as safely as possible.

Newsom is currently being held without bail.

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