Cherokee County (October 23, 2021) – A call came into the Cherokee Sheriff’s Office just before 11:00 PM regarding a suicide attempt by an intoxicated 29-year-old man. The caller stated that her husband used a butcher knife to slit his own throat and was becoming violent. When the officer arrived, he saw the man standing in the kitchen, covered in blood from head to toe, wearing only basketball shorts.
The two small children remained outside in the parking lot while the officer ran inside to render aid. The suspect, Chad Baker, wielded a knife in his left hand and swung it in the air above his head. His wife attempted to calm him down and hold him back, but he pushed her off and screamed extremely loudly, “F*ck you guys; you did this to me!”
When the officer yelled at him to drop the knife, Baker ran at him with the weapon in his hand. As he began to draw his duty weapon, Baker’s wife grabbed him again and tried to calm him. He pushed her away once more and continued to run at the officer, who heard something fall to the floor.
Cornered in the hallway with his back to the front door and unsure if Baker still possessed the knife, the officer exited the apartment and stepped into the breezeway. Baker followed immediately behind him and ran at him again, to which the officer loudly demanded that he stop and get on the ground.
Baker responded by screaming for the officer to shoot him and then barreled toward him. He no longer held the knife, but the officer did not know if he had any other weapons, so he pointed his county-issued taser at him. Ignoring the officer’s commands to stop, he continued to run toward him, yelling for him to shoot him.
Once he reached within five feet, he fired his taser for one five-second cycle and struck him in the chest and torso. Baker fell to the ground on his stomach, incapacitated, and the officer swiftly climbed on his back and secured his handcuffs.
When he turned him over, he assessed his injuries and saw that the large cut on the right side of Baker’s neck was bleeding significantly. He applied pressure to the wound until EMS arrived, and Baker continued to scream at him, saying that he had a gun in his pocket.
Baker told the officer he would shoot him and that he hoped he would die. His wife entered the breezeway and pleaded for him to calm down, but Baker slammed his head vigorously on the ground. The officer placed his left hand underneath his head, trying to protect him while still applying pressure to his neck with his right hand.
Multiple deputies arrived and joined him in rendering aid. They searched him and found no additional weapons. When the officer tried calming him down, Baker yelled, “F*ck you,” and spat in his face. He covered Baker’s mouth and continued holding pressure on his neck.
Once EMS began treating Baker’s injuries, the officer realized he had blood all over his hands and arms and cleaned up before speaking with the family. He asked the children, five and seven years old, if they had seen any of the events that night, and they said no, but explained that their parents fought often.
The officer supplied the family with resources to help Baker obtain mental health treatment. After leaving the scene, he discovered a temporary protection order issued against Baker by his wife.
Officers arrested Baker on January 15, 2023, for aggravated stalking and simple 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.]
[NARRATIVE #1 on October 23, 2021]
On 10/23/2021, at approximately 10:50 pm, I responded to [1100 BLOCK] Peaks Way in reference to a suicide attempt. Dispatch advised a 29-year-old male slit his throat with a butcher knife. The male was intoxicated, becoming violent, and had a history of suicide attempts.
When I arrived, I was flagged down by the caller, [WITNESS #1], and two small children, [WITNESS #2] and [WITNESS #3], who were in the parking lot. I exited my patrol car, applied proper PPE, and ran behind [WITNESS #1] to assist with rendering aid to Chad Jr. I entered apartment [REDACTED] and saw Chad Jr standing in the kitchen. Chad Jr was only wearing basketball shorts and was covered head to toe in blood.
Chad Jr had a knife in his left hand and was swinging it in the air above him. Chad Jr’s wife, [VICTIM #1], was holding Chad Jr back, trying to calm him down. Chad Jr was actively trying to push [VICTIM #1] off of him and was screaming at the top of his lungs “Fu*k you guys, you did this to me.” I began yelling at Chad to drop the knife. When Chad Jr saw me, he started running towards me with the knife still in his hand.
I broke the retention of my duty holster and began to draw my duty weapon. Before I could draw my duty weapon, [WITNESS #1] grabbed Chad, which stopped him from continuing towards me and attempted to calm him down. When [WITNESS #1] did this, I saw Chad Jr’s left hand fall forward and heard something hit the ground. Chad Jr pushed both [VICTIM #1] and [WITNESS #1] off of him and started running towards me.
I was cornered in the hallway, with my back against the front door. With Chad Jr still coming towards me, I wanted to create distance between us since I was unsure if Chad Jr still had the knife on him. I turned around, exited the apartment, and entered the breeze way of the building. Chad Jr followed immediately behind me and continued running towards me.
I continued to give Chad Jr loud verbal commands to stop and get on the ground. Chad Jr was screaming at me to shoot him. I was able to see Chad Jr’s hands and saw he no longer had possession of the knife. With Chad Jr quickly coming towards me, ignoring all of my commands, and since I was unsure if Chad Jr had any other weapons, I un-holstered my county issued Taser (Serial #X0299CXX1), activated it, and oriented it towards Chad Jr.
I told Chad Jr to stop and get on the ground. Chad Jr continued to come quickly towards me, yelling at me to shoot him. With Chad Jr approximately five feet away and closing, I pulled the trigger on my Taser which fired one five second cycle, striking Chad Jr in the chest and torso. Chad Jr immediately fell on his stomach in the breeze way. With positive neuromuscular incapacitation and the five second taser cycle still going.
I got on Chad Jr’s back, holstered my taser, secured him in handcuffs, and told dispatch that I deployed my taser. With Chad Jr secured in handcuffs, I got off of his back, laid him on his back, and began to assess his injuries. I saw a large cut on the right side of Chad Jr’s neck, with a significant amount of blood coming out. I began to hold pressure on Chad Jr’s neck until medical personnel arrived. Chad Jr continued to scream at me.
Chad Jr told me told me he had a gun in his pocket, he was going to shoot me, and that he hoped that I die. Due to the severity of Chad Jr’s injuries, the fact he was already secured in handcuffs and laying on his hands, and since I was by myself, I decided not to check him for weapons immediately. I continued to hold pressure on Chad Jr’s wound until other deputies arrived.
[WITNESS #1] came into the breezeway and was pleading with Chad Jr calm down and listen to me. Chad Jr began to slam his head on the ground. I put my left hand under Chad Jr’s head to prevent him from hitting his head while holding pressure on his neck with my right hand. While lying there with Chad Jr, multiple deputies arrived and assisted me with rendering aid until Fire/EMS arrived.
Since other deputies were with me and I was still unsure if Chad Jr had a gun in his pocket, I told deputies Brownlee and Jensen to search Chad Jr while I continued to hold pressure on his neck. Chad Jr was searched, and no firearm was located. Deputies Brownlee and Jensen held Chad Jr down while I continued to hold pressure on his neck.
I tried to calm Chad Jr down and tell him everything was going to be okay. Chad replied, yelling at me “fu*k you” and spat in my face, spitting on my right cheek. I covered Chad Jr’s mouth, to prevent him from spitting on me again, while continuing to hold pressure on his neck. Fire/EMS arrived and began treating Chad Jr’s injuries.
Since I was covered up to my elbows in Chad Jr’s blood, I went to go clean myself up before I began talking to Chad Jr’s family. Once I was clean, I walked inside apartment [REDACTED]. Deputy Brownlee was already talking with [VICTIM #1] and [WITNESS #1]. I still had Chad’s blood on my hands. I asked [VICTIM #1] if I was able to use their bathroom to clean myself up. [VICTIM #1] let me in the children’s bathroom.
When I finished, I asked [VICTIM #1] if I was able to speak with her children while Deputy Brownlee continued to speak with her and [WITNESS #1]. [VICTIM #1] said yes. I walked into the children’s bedroom, where I began talking to [WITNESS #2] and [WITNESS #3], Chad Jr’s step children. [WITNESS #2] was seven years old and [WITNESS #3] was five.
I asked the both if they saw anything that happened tonight. They both said no. I asked if anything like this has happened before. [WITNESS #2] shook her head yes and said Chad Jr and [VICTIM #1] had a history of fighting. They were scared last time something like this had happened. I returned back to Deputy Brownlee who was finished talking to [WITNESS #1] and [VICTIM #1].
I gave them both resource for Chad so he could seek further mental help. I gave them both a case card with a case number and told them how to obtain a copy of this report. They both understood. Due to the nature of Chad Jr’s injuries, I was not concerned with running him through GCIC/NCIC. After leaving the incident scene I noticed Chad Jr was issued a temporary protection order, with the protective party being his wife, [VICTIM #1].
Warrants will be secured for aggravated stalking and simple battery on law enforcement for spitting on me. Photos taken on scene will be uploaded to this case folder. My used taser cartridge will submitted to evidence (ECR-21-02488). A DCFS referral will also be completed. Deputy Jensen removed the taser probes from Chad Jr and rode with Squad 1 to Kennestone Hospital. It did not appear that Chad Jr suffered any injuries as a result to the taser deployment.
[End of Narrative]
