SWAT team called to arrest suspect in cab driver’s shooting

A search conducted by the Columbus Police Department’s SWAT team has led to an arrest in Monday’s shooting death of Dewayne Chronister, a driver for Warrior Cab Company.

Dontavis Paige Screws, 20, was taken into custody during a search at 2315 Forsyth St., Police Lt. Greg Touchberry said in a release late Wednesday. Screws is held in the Muscogee County Jail for an 8 a.m. Saturday appearance in Recorder’s Court. The hearing will be rescheduled for 9 a.m. next Wednesday.

Screws’ arrest came on the same day authorities identified 50-year-old Chronister after no relatives could be found. The cab driver was pronounced dead of a gunshot wound to the head at 11:05 a.m. at Midtown Medical Center.

Police were called at 6:04 a.m. to Parkwood Mobile Home Park at 527 Farr Road to check on a shooting.

A resident of the mobile home park found the driver with a head wound and slumped over in his seat before police were called to the scene.

Chronister is the 19th homicide in the city this year. It came two days after Antonio Giddens, 39, was found stabbed at least 10 times during a dispute in East Wynnton. A suspect, Curtis George Porter, surrendered to authorities late Tuesday in connection with that homicide.

This story was originally published October 19, 2016 at 10:15 PM with the headline "SWAT team called to arrest suspect in cab driver’s shooting."