Father turns himself in after domestic dispute prompts Gwinnett SWAT call

A man believed to have barricaded himself inside a Gwinnett County apartment with his newborn son Thursday morning may not have been in the apartment at all, police said Thursday afternoon.

SWAT officers safely removed the baby just before 9 a.m., and he has since been returned to his mother.

Officers tried to make contact with the child’s father for about two hours before making their way inside the unit at the Capella Apartments off South Norcross Tucker Road.

“We're not certain at this time, but it is highly possible the suspect was able to flee the scene prior to police officers’ arrival after the original 911 call,” Gwinnett police Officer Carlton Releford told AJC.com at the scene.

The suspect, 26-year-old Jamal Alexander, turned himself in to Gwinnett police Thursday afternoon, authorities said. He was charged with aggravated assault and simple battery.

Credit: Gwinnett County Police Department

Credit: Gwinnett County Police Department

Police said the situation began as a domestic violence incident involving the child’s mother.

The woman called 911 about 7 a.m. after she was forced to run from her apartment following a physical struggle, leaving their son inside, police said. She said Alexander tried to choke her with a pillow before pulling a gun on her, according to investigators.

While police had no indication Alexander would hurt his son, the child’s safety was their top priority, Releford said. Officers and SWAT negotiators tried to make contact with the man using police microphones, but now believe he left the apartment before they arrived.

Alexander is being held at the Gwinnett County jail without bond, records show.

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