Hodges Drive murder suspect waives court hearing

A Columbus man accused in a deadly May 14 shooting on Hodges Drive waived his hearing in Columbus Recorder’s Court on Saturday.

Drevon Quantez Johnson, 24, is charged with one count each of murder, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon in connection with the death of Richard Collier at 5908 Hodges Drive. He was taken into custody at 7 a.m. Friday by the U.S. Marshals Service on Mead Court in Jonesboro, Ga., according to an arrest report.

Known as “Six” and “Dre,” Johnson told Judge Michael Joyner that he would waive his initial hearing on the charges. The court was prepared to set a hearing for later this week. The charges were bound over to Superior Court.

Collier, 24, was shot in the chest during a dispute at a house party. Witnesses have said that he was trying to make sure there was no trouble at his house during the gathering before a shot was fired.

Johnson is accused of firing a shot from a .40-caliber pistol at Collier, causing his death, police said in the arrest report. Collier was pronounced dead at the scene at 2:53 a.m.

A witness said there were 20 to 30 people at the house before the dispute occurred, but most left after the gunfire erupted.

Johnson, who was released from prison in February and had been free less than three months before the shooting, was convicted on numerous charges that included possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, theft by receiving stolen property, obstruction of law enforcement, fleeing to elude police and auto theft, records from the Georgia Department of Corrections show.

He given a 10-year sentence on the theft charge starting March 23, 2011. He was ordered to serve five of those years in the Macon State Prison and the other five on probation.

He was released on probation Feb. 21 after the Board of Pardons and Paroles commuted the remainder of his prison sentence, according to a letter from the agency.

This story was originally published July 9, 2016 at 11:05 AM with the headline "Hodges Drive murder suspect waives court hearing."