Gwinnett SWAT Team Serves Search Warrant at 78 and Barnwell Drive

Gwinnett Police say detectives have taken over the scene and are not releasing other information about the activity.

Detectives have taken over a location at Highway 78 and Barnwell drive where a Gwinnett SWAT team served a search warrant early Friday afternoon, according to a media advisory from Gwinnett Police. "There were no significant incidents during this call," Cpl. Jake Smith said in an email to reporters. "We will not issue any statements regarding the cause of this warrant at this time. There is no threat to the safety of citizens in this area." This SWAT team action took place one road up from Wednesday's murder of 14-year-old Paul Sampleton.

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GCPD Trains Media About Use of Force

In light of recent incidents, Gwinnett County Officers showed members of the media some of training they go through to prepare to protect and serve.

Last month, Gwinnett County Police officers shot and killed a Lawrenceville man who was reportedly suicidal. This issue is also a sensitive one for the Loganville Police Department and Walton County Sheriff's Office that have had two police shootings in the last three weeks. In all instances, it is reported that the suspect was shot dead by members of law enforcement after attempts to defuse the situation failed. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is currently investigating as is standard procedure in any fatal police shooting.  On Friday, GCPD officers showed members of the media why that decision is never an easy one to make. Experts from GCPD walked journalists through several scenarios involving use of force. From TASERs to when to …

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Police Warn of Possible Scam Operations Aimed at Elderly

Two elderly Peachtree Corners residents targets of recent incidents.

  Gwinnett Police detectives are investigating two recent incidents, both involving elderly victims living in Peachtree Corners. Detectives say in both cases, the "scam" method was used and may be part of a larger trend. The first reported incident occured just after Christmas on Dec. 28, the second on Jan. 7. "The suspects in both cases acted as if they knew the victims or had a valid reason to be there," stated Corporal Jake Smith, spokesman for the Gwinnett County Police Department. In the first incident a white male knocked at the victim's door, an elderly female, at about 1:45 p.m., and spoke to the victim as if he knew her.  The police report said he claimed to be her old AJC newspaper delivery person and addressed her by name. The …

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Inside the Police Blotter

Man Arrested for Exposing Himself at Waffle House

A homeless man showed himself to two women at a Norcross Waffle House, according to the victims' statements.

A homeless man was arrested for public intoxication, open container and public indecency after he allegedly showed himself and yelled drunken obscenities to two sisters at a local Waffle House. According to the police report, the sisters, a 28-year-old from Loganville and a 25-year-old from Dawsonville, visited at the Waffle House on 6079 Goshen Springs Road in unincorporated Norcross to grab a meal late in the evening on Dec. 6. The older sister told police they saw a man urinating outside the restaurant when they arrived. They ignored the man and continued inside. After finishing their food, they exited Waffle House and walked back to their car, only to be bothered by the same person.  The man, a 49-year-old homeless person, began …

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John Strickland Is New Commander at South Precinct

Major Strickland takes over as Major Dan Branch moves to the north precinct.

Major John Strickland takes command of Gwinnett County Police Department's South Precinct Monday, and Major Dan Branch, now the commander for the south side, moves to the North Precinct. Strickland began his policing career with Gwinnett County in 1989 and has worked in every division. His latest job was undercover. "I've always wanted to be a Gwinnett policeman," Strickland said. A Snellville native, Strickland worked in the South Precinct for five or six years early in his career, he said. In parting, Branch gave credit to the policemen and women on the ground and involved citizens for the success of the precinct. The precinct "probably has the best community involvement in the county," Branch said at a meet and greet at the precinct …

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Updated: Another Waffle House Robbed

Another hit in string of early morning armed robberies.

Updated 3:48 p.m.  One more day, one more Waffle House robbed. Waffle House #307 at 1945 Rockbridge Road in Stone Mountain was robbed early this morning, according to police. It is unknown if this robbery is connected with the others that have occurred in the Atlanta area, including in the City of Norcross. Norcross Police say that 18 robberies have occurred since July 27 that could be linked to the same two men. The hold-ups cover 12 different police jurisdictions, including six metro Atlanta counties, La Grange, Ga. and Auburn, Ala.  The agencies are working closely together, with the Norcross Police Department serving as a central agency for compiling data, according to Sgt. Bill Grogan of the Norcross PD. A multi-jurisdictional meeting…

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Sharon Swanepoel

9:51 am on Sunday, August 14, 2011

Seems you were right!   more ›

Gwinnett SWAT Standoff Ends in Apparent Suicide

Man dead Monday after domestic dispute at Buford residence.

A domestic dispute that resulted in the Gwinnett Police SWAT Team being called to unincorporated Buford early Monday has ended with the death of a man from an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound. Gwinnett Police Cpl. Edwin Ritter said in a release that police were called to a house on Valley Mill Court early Monday because of an aggravated domestic dispute involving a couple in their late 40s. Apparently, the woman threatened to leave the house and the man then refused to allow her to leave. He then retrieved a long gun and threatened to kill himself if she called police, the news release said. She then managed to leave the house with their teenage daughter and called police. Officers arrived and later decided from the "dynamics" of …

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Police Investigating Lilburn-Area Homicide

Man was shot and killed at apartments near U.S. 78 in unincorporated Lilburn.

Gwinnett Police are investigating the fatal shooting of a man who was found dead in a breezeway at a Lilburn-area apartment complex Tuesday afternoon. Police say the man, identified as 19-year-old Angelo Larocca, was found around 1:50 p.m. at the 1000 building of the Columns at Paxton Apartments at 4305 Paxton Lane. This is an unincorporated area just off of U.S. 78 between Killian Hill Road and Lake Lucerne. The man was found by a courtesy officer doing routine off-duty patrols in the complex, Gwinnett Police spokesman Cpl. Jake Smith said. Smith said witnesses heard “two or three shots” shortly before the body was found. The victim did not live at the apartments, said Smith. Nobody is in custody, Smith said, nor is there a known motive…

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Body Found Inside Burned Car

The Crime Scene Unit is collecting evidence to determine cause of death.

Homicide and arson police are investigating the case of a body found inside a burned car early Friday close to the Norcross-Tucker border in an unincorporated area of Gwinnett. Firefighters were dispatched at 5:07 a.m. this morning in response to a call from a police officer on routine patrol about a fire at Lucky Shoals Park. Upon arrival they discovered a smoldering car with a body inside. The age, sex, and identification of the deceased victim has yet to be determined, and the make and model of the car is not yet known due to it being badly burned, according to a police statement. The park is located at 4651 Britt Road in an unincorporated area of Gwinnett County. Gwinnett Parks and Recreation Department puts the address in Norcross but…

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SUNKEN SUB

9:24 am on Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Pancho Villa raided across the US border and attacked Clovis New Mexico in 1912--------- Could this be an Historical reenactment ? Norcross-Tucker border-------- More likely it is MS 13, Sinaloa Cartel, Gulf Cartel, La Familia Michoacana, Mexican Mafia.   more ›