Above and Beyond: Macon police Sgt. Shermaine Jones strives for compassionate crime-fighting
Not all Thanksgiving memories are happy ones.
Shermaine Jones would like to forget what he saw nine years ago, but it helped make him who he is today.
The rookie cop with a tiny toddler at home was called to a brutal double-murder scene. The lives of a mother and son were taken by a distant relative with a knife.
Jones decided then to become a detective.
Police service was already in his blood.
Growing up as a self-proclaimed “Army brat” from Crawford County, Jones looked up to his father.
“I kind of liked the civil service aspect of his lifestyle,” said Jones, who is now a sergeant in the Criminal Investigation Division of the Macon Police Department. “I wanted to follow in his footsteps.”
After two-and-a-half years in the U.S. Army, Jones had just finished his duty when the United States was attacked by terrorists Sept. 11, 2001.
He thought about re-enlisting, but his paperwork already was processed.
His daughter, Janya, was just 4 months old. Jones wanted to make the world a better place for his daughter and found his niche on the police force.
“I liked being able to serve the community,” Jones said. “I wanted to be part of the solution, not the problem, and show her you can be part of the right things.”
Ten years later, Jones’ work on a recent rape case earned kudos from his supervisors. He recently became the subject of the department’s first “Good News of the Day” release sent to local media.
Jami Gaudet, the department’s public information officer, praised his diligence and pleasant nature.
“In this sexual assault case I saw another side of him -- his absolute determination to bring the person responsible to justice, and his concern for the victim,” Gaudet said.
She shared this comment from the victim’s family member: “Sgt. Jones was very polite, professional and informative, and showed concern for the victim’s physical and mental health. He showed true compassion for her, as well as a dogged determination to bring justice to the persons responsible for this despicable act.”
When he looked at the victim, Jones said, he could see his wife, mother or daughter across the table. He wanted to do all he could to keep the woman from reliving the pain of the assault in front of a bunch of burly male detectives.
“I didn’t want to drag her through the ringer, just because I’m not a female. This case is very sensitive,” he said.
The incident happened at a downtown nightclub, and alcohol was involved. A suspect has been identified, but charges have yet to be filed.
“People kind of look at it skewed and think maybe she put herself in that position, but I don’t want her to feel that way,” Jones said.
He can’t forget the 2002 Thanksgiving double-murder of Sara “Von” Hawkins and her 9-year-old son, Christopher Willis.
Hawkins was stabbed 37 times and was frantically calling 911 as her boy’s throat was slashed at the hands of her distant cousin, Tony Hurst, who is now serving life in prison.
Jones decided that day to pursue a career as a detective to help catch killers.
He leads the sniper team for the SWAT team and is one of three sergeants working in violent crimes.
Jones is now on the list for consideration for promotion to lieutenant, said Maj. Charles Stone, commander of the department’s criminal investigation division.
His dedication to the job and strong work ethic make him an inspiration to those he supervises, Stone said.
“He’s always pleasant, and he doesn’t complain about the workload,” Stone said.
Jones wears his badge with pride and continues to serve when he’s off the clock.
On April 5, he had just gotten to sleep after moonlighting at Olive Garden when a loud noise startled him awake.
The shrill cries of his daughter were coming from her bedroom.
“She was screaming, ‘Daddy, Daddy, I can’t move,’” Jones recalls.
A tornado shifted their Andalusia Drive home about 25 feet of its foundation, and a door had fallen on top of her.
Jones got his wife, Sherita, son Jalen and daughter to safety in the family car and then set out to help others in his neighborhood.
His own home was destroyed, yet he was thinking of others instead.
Stone said Jones never complained about the disaster and only took off about a week following the storm.
Jones stays busy working two jobs, but the 33-year-old still strives to find time to be involved in his children’s activities.
“I want to be a positive role model for my family and other kids out there.”
If you know of a person going above and beyond to help the community, someone whose work might otherwise go unrecognized, let us know. Semd an e-mail to lfabian@macon.com. To contact writer Liz Fabian, call 744-4303.
This story was originally published November 24, 2011 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Above and Beyond: Macon police Sgt. Shermaine Jones strives for compassionate crime-fighting."