Charges of simple assault filed
Eleven years after receiving the Ellijay Police Department’s (EPD) Officer of the Year Award, Sergeant Jacob Chastain was arrested for simple assault by deputies from the Gilmer County Sheriff’s Department (GCSO).
In Georgia, simple assault is the crime of attempting to commit a violent injury or committing an act that places someone else in reasonable apprehension of immediately receiving a violent injury. Simple assault is a misdemeanor in Georgia.
Deputy Clifton Knight, Sergeant Lexia Robinson, Corporal Clayton Hughes, Deputy Michael Healy, Deputy Scott Camp, Detective Treavor Stanfield and Detective Lessie Sipple all were present for the arrest of Jacob Chastain Thursday, July 9.
The events leading to Chastain’s arrest began when he called to request a welfare check on his wife, the incident report stated.
There have been ongoing issues between Jacob Chastain, his wife Valerie Chastain and her ex-husband James Long, according to the incident report.
When the GCSO deputies arrived to the house Valerie Chastain was staying at, they found Jacob Chastain in the driveway, yelling at the occupants of a black SUV.
Deputies instructed him to step away from the vehicle.
The vehicle’s people were found to be Valerie Chastain and Long.
Jacob Chastain told the GCSO deputies he had received messages from concerned parties saying his wife was behaving erratically and might be on drugs, the incident report said.
He drove to where he knew she was staying, taking with him a fiberglass ax handle. This tool didn’t include an ax head.
According to the incident report, Jacob Chastain said he brought this tool so he could break in to get his wife if needed.
Knight filled out a criminal trespass warning against Chastain.
After more interviews, GCSO deputies arrested Jacob Chastain for simple assault on Long.