Jonathan Lee Patterson pleaded guilty to charges stemming from a SWAT standoff. (Cherokee County District Attorney's Office)
CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. - An Acworth man will spend 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to several crimes stemming from a SWAT standoff in Cherokee County.
The backstory:
The Cherokee County District Attorney’s Office said Jonathan Lee Patterson, 38, pleaded guilty to aggravated assault, two counts of obstruction of an officer, attempted removal of a weapon from a public official, criminal damage to property in the first degree and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony on Aug. 12.
The charges came from a March 2024 SWAT standoff in the Owl Creek Landing subdivision near Acworth.
Deputies originally responded to Patterson’s house after family members asked for a welfare check, according to police. They said they arrived and discovered the front windows of the home had been shot out from the inside.
The SWAT team was called to the scene and a negotiator tried to contact Patterson. At one point, deputies said a rifle was pointed out the window at them and several shots were fired inside the home.
The SWAT team deployed a less-lethal gas munition into the home. Deputies said Patterson likely tried to suppress the gas canister with bedding, but instead sparked a fire that quickly engulfed the home.
Cherokee County firefighters wrap up fighting a fire at a home where a SWAT standoff occurred hours earlier in the Owl Creek Landing subdivision near Acworth on March 28, 2024. (FOX 5)
As the flames spread, the SWAT team entered and pulled Patterson out. He suffered only minor injuries, deputies said.
What they're saying:
"This incident garnered swift response from multiple law enforcement agencies, with dozens of officers on scene at the height of the chaos caused by this defendant," said District Attorney Susan K. Treadaway. "We are grateful to the brave law enforcement officers who risked their lives, exercised extreme restraint, and safely ended this standoff."
What's next:
The judge sentenced Patterson to 15 years in prison and five years on probation. During that time, he must receive mental health treatment. He must also perform 240 hours of community service, avoid illegal drugs and alcohol, possess no firearms and follow other special conditions.
Prosecutors said the sentence for possession of a firearm will be suspended if Patterson completes the Integrated Treatment Program.
The Source: Information in this article came from the District Attorney of Cherokee County. It includes some original reporting from Denise Dillon who was at the scene in 2024.