A Richmond County deputy, who resigned in lieu of termination two years ago due to a cocaine accusation, was arrested Thursday on murder charges following an eight-hour standoff, authorities said.
Jason "Moose" William Cunningham, 45, is accused of shooting a Florida woman to death during a domestic incident, according to multiple news reports. The body of 37-year-old Nicole Harrington was found in an elevator at the downtown Augusta Convention Center parking deck about 6:40 a.m. Thursday, the Augusta Chronicle reported.
The incident prompted the lengthy standoff once authorities tied Cunningham to the fatal shooting and tracked him to Pointes West Army Resort in Appling, the newspaper reported.
Columbia County deputies and Fort Gordon military police engaged in the eight-hour standoff with Cunningham at the resort, which ended with the former deputy turning himself in, Augusta-based news station WJBF reported.
He faces charges of murder and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime, according to Richmond County jail records. He’s being held without bond.
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Cunningham worked as a Richmond County deputy from 2004 to 2018, according to Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council records. He resigned in lieu of termination after testing positive for an illegal substance during a drug screen, records show.
According to a document included in his POST file, he tested positive for cocaine following a Jan. 12, 2018 car crash while on duty. That was his only disciplinary history on record.
After leaving law enforcement, he served as a marketing and events manager for Forces United, which is a veterans' aid group, according to the Augusta Chronicle.
In a statement provided to the newspaper, Forces United Interim CEO and President Victoria Hann confirmed Cunningham worked for the organization until he resigned in April.
“Jason Cunningham is a former employee of Forces United who handled fundraising and marketing from January 2018 to April 2020,” she said. “We are praying for everyone involved in this situation.”
— AJC data specialist Jennifer Peebles contributed to this article.
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