Six people were arrested and investigations are ongoing after two warrant sweeps in Savannah’s Live Oak neighborhood Thursday.
The sweeps followed an eight-month investigation by the Tactical Investigations Unit of the Central Precinct of the Savannah-Chatham police department. The investigation was expedited into Thursday’s sweep by the shooting of a man in the area on Tuesday, said Julian Miller, metro police spokesman.
Dominic Manwell Williams of the 1100 block of East 33rd Street was charged with three counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and one count of reckless conduct for Tuesday’s shooting, Miller said.
He was arrested in the first warrant service about 2 p.m. by tactical investigation and crime suppression units from multiple precincts, K-9, detectives, SWAT officers and agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Williams fought with officers and was arrested after being bitten by a K-9, Miller said.
Three other men were arrested in a second sweep two hours later on the 1200 block of East 33rd. They included Quenton Ismel Sparks, 20, two counts of sale of cocaine and one count of sale of marijuana; Jahquell Jamonte Smith, 23, two counts of the sale of crack cocaine, two counts of the sale of powdered cocaine, four counts of the sale of marijuana, and possession of marijuana; and Keith Lashaun McClain, 36, sale of cocaine, three counts sale of marijuana, sale of crack cocaine and sale of ecstasy.
Two women arrested in the second sweep included Deiondra Donnika Roberts, 22, two counts each of conspiracy to violated the Georgia Controlled Substance Act and sale of marijuana; and Jacari Rashidah Roberts, 18, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute.
Weapons and illegal drugs were seized in the raids on three houses in the 1100 and 1200 blocks of East 33rd, Miller said.
Tactical investigation agents had been investigating drug sales in the area after being alerted by neighbors before April, but the decision to expedite to arrests was made after a man was grazed by a bullet fired into his vehicle on Tuesday afternoon.
“We had been observing increased shootings and robberies in the area and those crimes traditionally accompany drug sales,” said Central Precinct Capt. DeVonn Adams. “We felt we needed to move quickly to stop a possible escalation of crime by the subjects of the investigation before someone became seriously hurt.
“Thankfully, along with the increase in criminal activity, we also have found an increase in the willingness of neighborhoods to share information and cooperate with investigations. Some of these families have lived here for generations and they have had enough of criminal activity in their neighborhoods. We anticipate a stark increase in responses like this.”
Investigations into Tuesday’s shooting and criminal activity identified by the operation by are continuing and additional charges may follow, Miller said.