Woman charged with manslaughter in boyfriend’s death

A DeKalb County woman is facing a manslaughter charge after a fight with her boyfriend turned deadly.

At least three people witnessed the fight Sunday afternoon outside the Woodridge Apartments off Whites Mill Road and saw the victim collapse, according to a police report obtained by AJC.com. Shakethia Crowder told officers she and her boyfriend were coming back from the pool at Gresham Park.

He was identified by the DeKalb County Medical Examiner’s office as Roman Mapp, 45, of Atlanta.

According to police, Crowder said Mapp had heart problems and they argued when he refused to go home and rest. Then, she told DeKalb County police, the argument turned physical. But one witness told officers Crowder, 24, refused to let anyone help Mapp when he collapsed, telling them “he cheated on me.”

All three witnesses told police they saw Crowder and Mapp hitting each other, and at one point, Crowder went to a car and got some kind of stick. They claimed she beat the windows on the passenger’s side with it, according to police.

One witness accused Crowder of hitting Mapp repeatedly with the stick. He collapsed as he was walking around to the driver’s side of the car, according to police.

After DeKalb County police arrived, Mapp was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital and was pronounced dead. Police spokesman Sgt. J.D. Spencer said the man’s cause of death is still under investigation.

Crowder was detained at the scene and later arrested. She is being held Monday afternoon in the county jail.

— Please return to AJC.com for updates.

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The officer was conscious, alert and breathing. He was taken to the hospital.

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