Report: Defendant re-arrested after Forsyth County sheriff goes public
A habitual offender accused of pulling a gun on a Forsyth County deputy is back in jail, Channel 2 Action News reports.
Hollis Dean Garmon, 38, was arrested after Forysth Sheriff Ted Paxton criticized the decision to release Garmon on bond.
Garmon allegedly pulled a stolen shotgun on the deputy following an Oct. 21 confrontation that led to the suspect''s hospitalization for two gunshot wounds.
"Only by the grace of God was the deputy able to beat him to the draw," Paxton told the AJC Monday. "Given the fact that he, in my opinion, attempted to kill a law enforcement officer, I don't know how much more he needs to do to prove he's a threat to the community."
Garmon was released Tuesday on an $80,300 bond, but his freedom was short-lived.
The 38-year-old has been in Georgia prisons twice before and was released early on parole both times, most recently in 2009 after serving five months of a 10-year sentence on theft and drug charges, according to the Georgia Department of Corrections. His convictions include one count of domestic violence and three counts of obstruction of a law enforcement officer.
Forsyth prosecutors did not contest the defendant's request for bond. District Attorney Penny Penn did not return a call seeking comment, but told forsythnews.com that prosecutors agreed to the bond, in part, because of Garmon's medical condition.
"Certainly, if we thought that a higher bond were necessary, we would have required it," she said.
Paxton said Garmon walked out of the county jail unaided when he was released. The sheriff said he expressed his displeasure with the district attorney's office's plans before the bond hearing.
Paxton said the recent showdown with his deputy and the prior obstruction convictions -- all in Forsyth County -- demonstrated Garmon was both a danger to the public and a flight risk.
Garmon was "on the run" when he was captured Oct. 21, the sheriff said. He was wanted for a month-old burglary and had told investigators over the phone that he would surrender but never did, Paxton said. Deputies stumbled upon him when they went to the home of a reputed Garmon associate in hopes of learning his whereabouts.
About the Author
A native Atlantan, Boone joined the AJC staff in 2007. He quickly carved out a niche covering crime stories, assuming the public safety beat in 2014. He's covered some of the biggest trials this decade, from Hemy Neuman to Ross Harris to Chip Olsen, the latter of which was featured on Season 7 of the AJC's award-winning "Breakdown" podcast.
