It is with great sadness that Sheriff David Davis has to announce that Bibb County Sheriff’s Investigator Anthony “TJ” Freeman was fatally injured in a traffic accident that occurred Thursday morning at around 3:00AM.
Investigator Freeman was responding to a call for assistance from another investigator who was dealing with a suspicious vehicle. The vehicle, later determined to be driven by Montavious Kinder, 24, was actively fleeing deputies when Investigator Freeman became involved.
As Investigator Freeman was traveling east on Columbus Road to assist other deputies, Kinder drove his vehicle southbound out of Buena Vista Drive and struck Investigator Freeman’s vehicle on the driver’s side. Investigator Freeman’s vehicle went off the roadway coming to a stop in the front yard of a residence in the 2800 block of Columbus Road.
Investigator Freeman was rushed to the Navicent Health Hospital for injuries sustained in the collision. He was later pronounced deceased at the hospital.
Investigator’s K9 partner Bojar was with him and is being evaluated by veterinarians. Initial reports have Bojar as not being injured.
The suspect, Kinder, was treated at Coliseum Northside Hospital for minor injuries. He has been charged with pre-existing warrants and other charges are pending.
The Bibb County Sheriff’s Office has asked the Georgia State Patrol’s Specialized Reconstruction Collision Team (SCRT) to handle the investigation of the wreck and the subsequent charges. Kinder will be transported to the Monroe County Jail as this is where the GSP SCRT team is based.
The Bibb County Sheriff’s Office is also investigating the wreck internally, as per policy and protocol.
Investigator Freeman was 29 and had served with the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office for seven years, after joining the Macon Police Department in 2009. He was assigned as a narcotics investigator for the last five years. He was also a SWAT officer, a K9 handler and was about to start training to become a training instructor.
He is survived by his wife, Jessica, and their two children, Braden, 11, and Blaiklyn, 6.
Sheriff Davis ordered all Bibb County Sheriff’s Office flags to fly at halfmast and is bringing in grief counselors for the department.
Says Sheriff Davis: “TJ was a great investigator, a great deputy and a great friend to many on the department. He died doing what TJ always did – trying to help a fellow deputy. Our hearts are heavy today as we lost one of our own, but we grieve especially for Jessica, Braden and Blaiklyn. TJ was a very involved father and we know this will be very, very hard for his young family.”
