JONESBORO, Ga. — A former Jonesboro officer is wanted for a hit-and-run that left one man dead back in May, according to arrest warrants from the Fulton County magistrate court.
Jail records show the former officer, Godreque Ravetto Newsom Sr., has been arrested. The family of 27-year-old Abari J. Meade plans to speak out about the situation sometime on Thursday.
Newsom is facing charges including vehicular homicide in the first degree, felony hit and run, reckless driving and speeding. Warrants show that Newsom called the Atlanta Police Department and told officers he was the driver involved in the fatal crash.
According to court records, Newsom was denied bond on his first-degree vehicular homicide charge and felony hit and run charge and was given a $10,000 bond on both his reckless driving and speeding charges. Newsom can not bond out of jail due to no bond being issued for charges one and two.
Just a few months back, 11Alive reported that Newsom and another former Jonesboro officer had filed a lawsuit in federal court alleging the local mayor was acting unethically. Newsom has also worked with different law enforcement agencies, including one where he was fired for "conduct unbecoming of an officer," among other notes.
About the deadly crash
Atlanta Police Department said calls came in around 11:50 p.m. on May 27, reporting an accident on Interstate 85 near 17th Street NW in the northbound lanes.
When officers arrived, they found the driver of a Kia Optima, 27-year-old Abari J. Meade, in critical condition. Meade was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital, where police said he later died.
Investigators and Fulton County court warrants said that a Chevrolet Suburban driven by former Jonesboro police officer Godreque Ravetto Newsom was heading down the Interstate 75/85 connector and came across where the two lanes met, entering the I-85 northbound lanes, hitting Meade, who was parked on the right shoulder.
Police said Newsom left his car at the accident, adding that his control module recorded him going 80 mph in 55 mph just half a second before the crash.
Family Statement on Meade
The parents of Meade, Novelle and Jacqueline Meade, released a statement late Wednesday following his funeral on Tuesday. The two want to see a conviction in the case and said they "will not rest until the person responsible for Abari's death is brought to justice."
Their statement describes Meade as "a bright and promising young man with so much potential," read it in full below:
"We are devastated by the loss of our beloved Abari, a bright and promising young man with so much potential. His life was taken from us far too soon, and the pain of his absence is unbearable. We cannot fathom how someone could commit such a heartless act and then simply walk away, leaving our son to suffer alone.
As we gather to say our final goodbyes to Abari, we are left with a sense of anger and frustration at the injustice of it all. We want answers, we want closure, and above all, we want justice for our son. It is not fair that his killer is able to go about their life as if nothing has happened, while we are left to grieve and pick up the pieces of our shattered lives.
We will not rest until the person responsible for Abari's death is brought to justice. We will fight for him, we will speak out for him, and we will never stop seeking the truth. Abari deserves justice, and we will not stop until we have it.
In the meantime, we ask for the support and prayers of our community as we navigate this unimaginable loss. Abari will forever hold a special place in our hearts, and we will never forget the light that he brought into our lives. May he rest in peace, and his memory be a blessing to us all.
~ The Parents of Abari Meade: Novelle and Jacqueline Meade"
More on former officer Newsom
11Alive has spoken with former officer Godreque Newsom in a prior story where he and another former officer said they'd retaliated against and fired after reporting alleged wrongdoing by Jonesboro's mayor.
The two alleged that Mayor Donya Sartor violated the state's Whistleblower Act and acted both unethically and criminally. Two investigations were launched. The city's investigation found policy violations on Sartor's behalf, but the GBI found no criminal wrongdoing.
According to police records, Newsom also worked with the Atlanta Police Department from 1990 before resigning voluntarily in 1998. He also worked for Clayton County Sheriff's Office about 11 years later before being fired for "Truthfulness, Conduct Unbecoming an Officer, Neglect of Duty and failure to give name and employee number upon request."