Albany man in Clayton County Jail, charged with murder

FAYETTEVILLE — An Albany man is in custody after allegedly kidnapping his girlfriend in Fayetteville and then fatally shooting her after a chase ended Sunday night at Lovejoy High School.

Cameron Ja’Michael Hopkins, 20, of 3805 Dominion Court in Albany, is in the Clayton County Jail on two counts of aggravated assault, murder, and possession of a weapon during the commission of a crime in connection with Sunday’s kidnapping and murder of Khaliyah Jones, 19.

The CCPD said Hopkins was out on bond for terroristic threats, kidnapping, second degree criminal damage to property, possession of a weapon during the commission of a crime, and aggravated assault in connection with the kidnapping of Jones last year.

He is also being charged with kidnapping and aggravated assault by the Fayetteville Police Department.

Hopkins was scheduled for a first appearance hearing Wednesday in Clayton County Magistrate Court.

According to the Fayetteville Police Department, at about 11 p.m., Sunday officers were dispatched to a kidnapping in progress call at the Wingstop at 770 N. Glynn St. in Fayetteville.

Several 911 calls were received about a man who entered the restaurant and took his ex-girlfriend, an employee of the restaurant, at gunpoint. An additional caller told authorities that the suspect left with the victim in a red Chevrolet Camaro.

While en route to the call, an FPD officer spotted a vehicle matching the description and began to follow it to confirm its involvement.

The vehicle began to flee from officers in the area of Banks Road in Fayetteville, and a vehicle pursuit was initiated. The pursuit left Fayette County and entered Clayton County via McDonough Road.

The vehicle turned into the driveway of Lovejoy High School, where officers utilized a PIT maneuver to disable the vehicle and end the pursuit.

When the vehicle stopped, the suspect fired several shots inside the vehicle and additional shots at officers, striking their vehicle multiple times with officers still inside. Officers were able to exit their vehicle and take cover while the suspect and victim remained inside the vehicle.

Officers began giving commands for the suspect to exit the vehicle, which were ignored.

Fayette County Sheriff’s deputies were able to use a less-lethal option to deploy an “OC” type irritant into the suspect’s vehicle from a safe distance. The suspect then exited the vehicle and was taken into custody by officers.

The victim was found inside the vehicle with several gunshot wounds and had succumbed to her injuries.