Suspect in 6-year-old's shooting death will remain behind bars

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. - Deputies released the body camera video of the capture of a teen wanted in the shooting death of a 6-year-old boy, who authorities urgently wanted off the streets for a string of violent crimes.

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Meshon Williams, 17, found out Friday morning at his first appearance he will be remaining in DeKalb County Jail for the foreseeable future. Besides charges related to the murder,  he already had two warrants out for his arrest on a May 3 incident of Williams allegedly ramming a police car and trying to run over an officer in a stolen vehicle, and leading police on a chase through two counties. 

DeKalb County Police said Williams was the gunman who shot more than 30 bullets into the home on Sweetgum Lane on May 5. At least one of those bullets struck and killed 6-year-old Z'mari Mitchell as he played inside his family’s living room.

Williams was captured after a harrowing pursuit from law enforcement, according to police. SKYFOX 5 was over the scene Thursday on Interstate 20 near Gresham Road where deputies took Williams into custody after he ran onto the westbound area of the interstate and hid in the underbrush.

Video released Friday by the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office, one of the many agencies assisting in the arrest. It shows deputies using a K-9 to track Williams to some brush. A deputy holds back that same K-9 from attacking as he repeatedly ordered Williams from his hiding spot. He eventually was taken into custody.

Deputies said the DeKalb County Fugitive Unit located Williams Thursday morning in an undisclosed location near Candler Road; he jumped into a stolen car that police said had numerous people inside, and after a brief chase, it crashed on Dawn Drive into a car and injured the driver. The driver was taken to the hospital and their condition is unknown.

DeKalb County Police said after the car crashed, numerous people fled from authorities. Police said another male was arrested and two females were released. Williams was a passenger in the stolen vehicle, police said. No word from police from where that stolen vehicle came from.

RELATED: Search continues for suspect in shooting of 6-year-old boy

On May 5 around 5:30 p.m.,  police said shots were fired over an argument sparked by a social media post and spat between two teenage girls. Officers swarmed the neighborhood after 31 rounds were fired at the home of 6-year-old Z'mari Mitchell. The young child had been in critical condition at Children's Healthcare at Egleston since Saturday. Wednesday night, police said the young boy passed away as a result of his injuries.

Meanwhile, a massive manhunt was launched for Williams who police said drove away from the home in a gray SUV.

Many of the residents in the neighborhood were relieved by the arrest. They had been on edge, outraged and shocked to hear the whole ordeal started with a dispute among teenaged girls over a social media post.

"I'm sorry for the baby that lost his life-- innocent baby," one neighbor said Thursday.

DeKalb Police said Williams was already a known car thief as a juvenile.  Warrants said Williams was found May 3 with a stolen 2018 Dodge Challenger that was one of more than a dozen cars hijacked from a Chamblee car dealership Landmark Chrysler Dodge of Atlanta.

Chamblee Police said he may be linked to those thefts at the dealership. At a press conference on May 7, DeKalb Police said their officers were already investigating Williams for other car thefts in their jurisdiction. 

Court records said on May 3, as an officer went to check on a suspected stolen vehicle at the Spring Valley Apartments in DeKalb County, Williams rammed the front of the officer's vehicle; as the officer got out, Williams tried to run over the officer. Police tell FOX 5, Williams had other young women in the car during the ordeal and led officers on a chase to Atlanta, where Williams fled. 

Williams will make his next court appearance June 5 at 1 p.m. Williams faces charges of Murder, aggravated assault, and aggravated battery for the May 5 shooting and death of the child, and aggravated assault on an officer of court and theft by receiving stolen property for the May 3 ordeal.

RELATED: Police: Search for teen who shot 31 times into DeKalb County home, injuring 6-year-old