Cloverdale, Georgia

From the Savannah Morning News of May 25, 2005

Shooting victim was harrassing ex-girlfriend

Carey Heyward was shot and killed after stalking the mother of his child, a police report says.

A 26-year-old woman called Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police twice Monday night and early Tuesday to complain about Heyward's harassment, according to a police report.

She made the second call after her friend, Darryl Kent, shot and killed Heyward as he tried to break into the woman's Cloverdale home.

When police arrived at 1434 Chevy Chase Road around 3:15 a.m. Tuesday, they found Heyward, 35, lying in the backyard with a gunshot wound to the bottom of his face, the report says.

He was dead at the scene, emergency workers told police.

Heyward and the Cloverdale woman used to live together, but separated about three months ago. They had a 10-month-old daughter, the woman told police.

But according to the police report, the woman had previous problems with Heyward and had even taken out a restraining order against him prohibiting any further contact.

Heyward ignored the order this week when he showed up at his ex-girlfriend's home.

The first time, he rang the door bell and yelled for the woman to answer the door. After she refused, he broke a front window and tried to climb in, the report says.

The woman called police.

Heyward finally left when he saw Kent inside the home, according to the report.

Kent, who was over to watch television, decided to stay the night in case Heyward returned, the woman told police.
And that's what happened.

Around 3 a.m., the couple awoke to tapping on the window and the sound of Heyward calling the woman's name, the report says.

She shouted for him to go away and said she was calling police.

As she was about to dial 911, she heard glass break and then a gunshot, the report says.

Then she ran outside and called 911. No one inside the house was hurt, police said.

Police arrived to find Heyward dead. A .380-caliber semi-automatic weapon lay on the sofa, next to the front door, according to the report.

Police declined to say if Heyward had a weapon.

Police questioned Kent, 38, and released him without charges, police spokesman Bucky Burnsed said.

The police interview will be forwarded to the Chatham County District Attorney's Office and may be presented to the grand jury, police said.

Georgia law says a person can threaten or use force against another to defend himself against force that is likely to cause death or great injury, or when it is to prevent the commission of a forcible felony.

Georgia corrections department records show that Heyward has been in and out of jail since 1989 on various charges, including aggravated assault, possession of cocaine and obstruction of a law enforcement officer.