Deputy Shoots Armed Robbery Suspect Javious Mattox Following Vehicle Pursuit in Athens

ATHENS, GA — A Clarke County Sheriff's deputy shot an armed robbery suspect on Tuesday, January 14, 2025, following a high-speed vehicle pursuit and a subsequent foot chase through a commercial district.

The incident began around 2:30 p.m. when the Athens-Clarke County Police Department responded to an armed robbery at a Cricket Wireless store located in the 400 block of North Avenue. Witnesses reported that suspects entered the store, displayed handguns, and demanded cash and merchandise before fleeing in a getaway vehicle.

Deputies soon spotted the suspect vehicle on Commerce Road and initiated a pursuit. The chase continued onto Newton Bridge Road, where the suspects abandoned the moving vehicle and fled on foot. During the foot pursuit, a deputy identified as Sgt. Jason Kimano observed one of the suspects, 25-year-old Javious Mattox of Athens, carrying a firearm. Sgt. Kimano discharged his service weapon, striking Mattox.

Mattox was transported to a local hospital, where he was treated for non-life-threatening injuries, including a collapsed lung. A second suspect, 21-year-old Malik Tucker, was apprehended nearby without further incident. Officers recovered two firearms at the scene of the arrest.

Tucker has been booked into the Clarke County Jail on charges of armed robbery, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and obstruction of law enforcement. Mattox faces similar charges upon his release from the hospital. As is standard procedure in officer-involved shootings, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) was called to conduct an independent investigation into the shooting.