Name of Accused:
Norwood, Joseph Allen
Date of Arrest:
07/13/2024
Charges For Arrest:
CRIMINAL ATTEMPT – M
CRIMINAL ATTEMPT TO COMMIT A MISDEMEANOR – M
CRIMINAL ATTEMPT TO COMMIT A FELONY – M
DISORDERLY CONDUCT – M
DISORDERLY CONDUCT – M
Officer’s Narrative:
[Please note: The following is a direct transcription from the official initial incident report. The Georgia Gazette does not fix any spelling or grammatical errors that may exist. Any changes or redactions made by our staff are placed inside brackets. Some errors may exist. All subjects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The topics discussed may be sensitive to some readers. Discretion is advised.]
On July 13th, 2024
, at approximately 1558 hours, [VICTIM ], 57 yo B/F DOB [REDACTED], called 911 from phone number [REDACTED] to report an attempted theft at her residence at [2900 BLOCK] Dawes Avenue, Savannah, Georgia 31405. She provided Chatham Dispatch a description of a white male in his 30s, approximately 5’6″ in height, with a slender build, wearing a black hat and shorts, and riding an old black bicycle.
According to [VICTIM ]’s statement, she was lying down inside her house when she heard a noise. She got up and noticed a white male on her porch picking up a package from one of her chairs. She yelled at him, and the male subject dropped the package, ran off the porch, and got on his bike. While doing so, he yelled racial slurs at her, specifically the word “niger.” Officer Huynh located a subject matching the description at the intersection of Plymouth Avenue and Ogeechee Road. The individual identified himself as Joseph Allen Norwood, 27 yo W/M DOB [REDACTED BY AGENCY]/1996. I then arrived at Officer Huynh location where I questioned Mr. Norwood. He stated he was riding his bike from downtown, which matched the direction from where Dawes Avenue is situated. He denied the allegations of theft and using racial slurs. I then responded to Dawes Avenue and picked up [VICTIM ] for a show-up at the intersection of Plymouth Avenue and Ogeechee Road, where she positively identified Joseph Norwood as the male who attempted to take the package and used racial slurs against her. Prior to the show-up, I instructed Officer Huynh to move Mr. Norwood to the northwest corner of the intersection. I also verified that Mr. Norwood was not in handcuffs. Officer Huynh confirmed Mr. Norwood’s location and that he was not in handcuffs. Mr. Norwood was charged with theft by taking criminal attempt and disorderly conduct for using abusive words such as “niger,” which tend to incite an immediate breach of peace. Upon his arrest, Mr. Norwood requested to speak to a supervisor. Sergeant Simmons responded and read Mr. Norwood his Miranda warnings. During their conversation, Mr. Norwood placed himself on the porch, alleging he knocked on the door to ask about construction in the area. Sergeant Simmons found his description of events suspicious. Mr. Norwood acknowledged that his chain of events did not seem accurate.
Mr. Norwood was transported to the Chatham County Detention Center, where he was booked on his charges.
[End of Narrative]