Jovaa Jackson (Rockdale County Sheriff’s Office)
A 31-year-old former sheriff’s deputy in Georgia has been arrested for allegedly shooting and killing the father of her unborn child earlier this month. Jovaa Jackson, who resigned from the Rockdale County Sheriff’s Office less than a week before the fatal shooting, was taken into custody and charged with one count each of malice murder, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and stalking in connection with the slaying of 28-year-old Terell Douglas, court records reviewed by Law&Crime show.
According to a press release from the Clayton County Police Department, officers at around 8 p.m. on June 4 responded to a call about a reported shooting outside of a residence located in the 1200 block of Southlake Cove Court in Jonesboro, which is less than 20 miles south of Atlanta.
Upon arriving at the scene, first responders located the victim — later identified as Douglas — near the entrance of one of the apartment doors. He appeared to be suffering from a gunshot wound to the chest. Douglas was transported to Southern Regional Hospital via ambulance where he succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at 8:50 p.m., police said.
Investigators say they soon learned that Jackson and Douglas were in a romantic relationship, that Jackson was pregnant, and that Douglas was the father of her unborn child. Witnesses allegedly told investigators that Douglas was at the apartment complex visiting a friend when Jackson arrived at the same location.
“An argument immediately ensued after Ms. Jackson arrived on scene,” the release states. “The verbal altercation turned deadly when Ms. Jackson produced a handgun and shot Mr. Douglas.”
However, according to a CCPD incident report, Douglas was not just visiting a “friend” at the apartment complex, the document states that he was visiting his “girlfriend,” whose name was redacted from the report.
“The girlfriend of Douglas, [redacted], stated that Douglas was outside arguing with his baby momma and things started to escalate. [Redacted] stated that she closed the door when she seen [sic] the suspect pull a gun,” the incident report states. “[Redacted] stated that when she came back outside, Douglas was laying down on the ground shot and the suspect called 911 while applying pressure to his wound.”
While several witnesses said Jackson provided some assistance to the wounded Douglas, she allegedly fled the scene before authorities arrived.
Douglas’ girlfriend also allegedly told police that she had spoken with Douglas’ mother earlier in the day. Douglas’ mother allegedly told his girlfriend Jackson had called her and said she was “going to kill her son,” police wrote.
Another witness allegedly told police that just prior to the shooting, she heard Jackson and Douglas outside “arguing about a female.” That witness also stated that the first time Jackson pulled out her gun and attempt to fire at Douglas, her gun “jammed,” but that she then “shot again, hitting Douglas in the left side of his chest.”
Jackson had been with the sheriff’s office since October 2015 and in March 2019 was awarded the office’s “Employee of the Month” award. However, when she “resigned in lieu of termination” on May 31, she was the subject of an investigation for employee misconduct by the agency’s Office of Professional Standards, Atlanta Fox affiliate WAGA-TV reported.
Jackson turned herself in on June 6 and provided investigators with the firearm she allegedly used to shoot Douglas.
Jackson is being held at the Clayton County Jail without bond, according to online jail records. Her preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 26.
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