In Session: City and mayor dismissed in lawsuit filed by former Savannah Police officer

This column is part of a weekly round-up of notable grand jury indictments and court decisions, following through on cases reported by Savannah Morning News public safety reporter Drew Favakeh. If there are cases you're curious about, email Drew at AFavakeh@Gannett.com.

Transcript filed in Xavier Dennis murder case

A transcript for a motion hearing in the State of Georgia vs. Xavier Dennis that took place in October 2023 was filed on March 21 in Chatham County Superior Court. Dennis pled guilty in December 2022 for the 2021 murder of Freddie Wallace, as previously reported by SMN.

According to a Savannah Police Department press release, at around 9:30 p.m. on Feb. 13, officers responded to a shooting at the 11900 block of White Bluff Road. Upon arrival, officers found Wallace, 24, suffering from life-threatening injuries. He was transported to the hospital where he later died. At the time, detectives did not believe it was a random shooting.

No hearings are scheduled yet in the case.

More: In Session: Leilani Simon appears in court, motion hearing scheduled for April 16

More: Q&A: Chatham County DA Shalena Cook Jones explains why she is running for re-election

More: In Session: Chatham County Jail Officer indicted for smuggling drugs

Damonte Phillips agrees to negotiated plea for voluntary manslaughter

During a hearing on March 25, Damonte Phillips agreed to a negotiated guilty plea for voluntary manslaughter in the 2020 shooting death of Calvin Marshall. Prosecutors chose not to prosecute other charges, including felony murder, aggravated assault, and two counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony and one count possession of a knife during the commission of a felony.

On Dec. 12, 2020, SPD found Marshall suffering life-threatening gunshot wounds. He later died at a hospital. According to media reports at the time, SPD said Marshall and Phillips knew each other and were involved in “an ongoing conflict.” A Chatham County grand jury indicted Phillips on May 4, 2021.

SPD also arrested Asante Gould, 18 years old at the time, but his case is no longer in the courts system.

Phillips received a sentence of 20 years, including 10 years to serve and 10 years probated for the voluntary manslaughter charge.

Jury finds Quinten Jenkins not guilty of murder

On March 26, a Chatham County jury found Quinten Jenkins not guilty of two counts of felony murder, aggravated assault, two counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. The jury, however, did find Jenkins guilty of theft by taking, making a false statement and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

On the night of July 26, 2022, Malik Green, 25, was killed on the 7600 block of Skidaway Road. Nearly a year later in February 2023, Chatham County Police arrested and charged Jenkins with felony murder, aggravated assault and theft by taking a motor vehicle, according to multiplemedia reports.

A sentencing hearing is scheduled for April 22.

City of Savannah and Mayor dismissed in federal lawsuit filed by former Savannah Police officer

On March 28, U.S. District Judge Stan Baker dismissed Mayor Van Johnson and the City of Savannah from a civil lawsuit filed by former Savannah Police officer Daniel Kang, who alleged he was fired in retaliation for speaking out against a former Savannah police chief’s wrongdoings.

The civil case centers around an incident that occurred on April 14, 2020, when Kang and his partner, Octavio Arango, attempted to execute an arrest warrant at the Moss Pointe Apartments. Kang and Arango detained the wrong person, Darryl Faitele, the cousin of a suspect in a domestic violence complaint. Both Arango and Kang were placed on leave and fired three months later. This incident occurred soon after Arango, along with 76 other SPD officer, signed a human resources (HR) complaint against former Chief Roy Minter.

In April 2021, Kang filed a federal lawsuit against the mayor and alderman of the City of Savannah and Minter. In the filing, Kang’s attorney Michael Schiavone alleges that "plaintiff, and his supervisor, Sergeant Arango, were improperly targeted by Chief Minter and retaliated against for speaking out about Minter’s" handling of internal affairs investigations and disciplinary proceedings.

Former SPD police chief Roy Minter remains as a defendant on Kang’s suit. On March 29, Minter’s attorney, Shawn Kachmar of the Hunter Maclean law firm, filed a motion arguing that Minter is entitled to qualified immunity on all claims.

In Sept. 2020, a Chatham County grand jury indicted Arango of misdemeanor battery and felony false imprisonment. If convicted of the false imprisonment charge, Arango could face up to 10 years.

Faitele, the man wrongfully detained, filed a civil lawsuit in April 2022 in Chatham County against city leaders as well as Arango and Kang, alleging they used "excessive force" throughout the incident. Johnson and Melder are also named as defendants in that civil suit.

Nelaunte Grant case filed on Supreme Court of Georgia docket

On April 1, a clerk for the Supreme Court of Georgia filed Nelaunte Grant's appeal on felony murder charges on the Supreme Court of Georgia’s docket.

Grant was found guilty for the 2018 felony murder and armed robbery of Shawntray "Puff" Grant, no relation to the accused, and his defense attorney filed a notice of appeal in January, as previously reported by the Savannah Morning News.

On Jan. 15, 2020, a Chatham County jury found Nelaunte Grant guilty of felony murder and armed robbery for setting up the ambush with Osha Dunham, who was sentenced to two consecutive life prison terms without the possibility of parole plus 315 consecutive years incarceration for a 2018 crime spree that took the life of Shawntray Grant and Robert Lee Jr. Prosecutors used cell phone information to form a link between Nelaunte Grant and the ambush of Shawntray Grant.

Shawntray Grant was the 32-year-old leader of the Bullhorn Crew. He was ambushed, robbed and fatally shot upon returning to his home on Randolph Street at The View on Oglethorpe after winning $12,000 on a Brunswick gambling ship.

No hearings are scheduled yet in the state Supreme Court case, but the calendar is set for June 2024.

Drew Favakeh is the public safety and courts reporter for Savannah Morning News. You can reach him at AFavakeh@Gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: chatham county ga court updates for week of April 8 2024