ATLANTA — The suspect in the deadly stabbing of a man along the Atlanta Beltline has been in and out of the criminal justice system for years, including a previous stabbing case.
Just months before Sunday’s incident, there was an effort to revoke his probation, Channel 2’s Michael Seiden learned on Channel 2 Action News at 6:00 p.m.
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A channel 2 viewer captured footage of the moments along the Beltline as police swarmed the area following the stabbing Sunday.
Investigators say it started with an argument and ended with 29-year-old Ramon Harris fatally stabbed in the neck.
Police quickly arrested 54-year-old Jonathan Hamby and charged him with murder.
“I’m kind of shocked that happened here. It’s kind of usually a pretty peaceful, pretty peaceful walk,” said midtown resident Robby Sherwood.
Hamby’s mugshot is just the latest in his long criminal history, with nine Fulton County arrests dating back to 2011.
Court records from March show a petition was filed in DeKalb County to revoke Hamby’s probation.
The petition accused him of missing two straight monthly check-ins with his probation officer and failing to complete required anger management classes and a mental health evaluation.
It also wasn’t the first time Hamby had been accused of a stabbing. In 2017, police say he stabbed another man multiple times along Piedmont Road.
Hamby later reached a negotiated plea and was sentenced to 20 years, with three to serve in prison.
A day later, Atlanta Police are stepping up their presence along the Beltline.
“I was wondering why there are, you know, cops there, but I definitely feel better that they’re there for sure,” said visitor Ursula Claire.
Channel 2 is still working to find out exactly what happened after that petition to revoke Hamby’s probation was filed in March, including what action, if any, the court took.
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