Man found guilty in trooper beating

DECATUR, Ga. — Georgia state trooper Kimberly Davis told Channel 2 Action News it's been a long road to recovery and it felt like a long trial. But at last, Garcia Venson, the man who beat her so severely it ended her career, was found guilty Friday night of all eight charges of aggravated assault and aggravated battery.

Prosecutors said Venson beat her in 2010 after leading her on a high-speed chase in Decatur because he didn't want to go to jail. They said Venson didn't want to follow her commands and beat her with her own gun after she shot him because she said he made a sudden move.

"I knew that I was doing my job all along. It felt good for it all to be collected and see it was what it was," Davis told Channel 2's Amanda Cook outside of the DeKalb County Superior Courthouse on Saturday morning.

But throughout the trial, Venson's defense team argued that Davis was just trigger happy and threatened to kill Venson – even after his hands were up where she could see him.

The jury, which deliberated until about dinner time Friday, didn't buy the story and returned with a guilty verdict just before 11 p.m. Venson now faces up to 80 years in jail.

A defense attorney shook his head in disbelief as Venson's family cried. Venson stared at Davis as deputies escorted him from the courtroom.

Davis, who said she tried to remain strong throughout the trial, collapsed in tears after hearing the verdict. Although she is sad that her law enforcement career has ended as a result of the beating, she is grateful to be alive.

"Whatever the next step is, I have to ease into something else. It's not easy when your life has been turned around. But I'm grateful to have my life," she said

Venson's sentencing date has not been confirmed.

WSBTV