Man charged in Macon shooting avoids prison despite guilty plea, prosecutors say
Despite pleading guilty to shooting at his ex-girlfriend and her daughter in 2022, “he will not spend any time behind bars,” the Macon Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office said Thursday.
Jurors were selected for the trial against Darius McKenzie on Wednesday. But he pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated assault and one count of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, according to prosecutors.
This case stemmed from an incident on Dec. 11, 2022. McKenzie arrived home intoxicated and agitated, prosecutors said. His ex-girlfriend and her daughter attempted to leave, but McKenzie blocked the woman’s car with his own.
McKenzie then fired into the air and drove away. However, he returned “to shoot directly at the victims,” prosecutors said.
“The court sentenced McKenzie to 15 years with eight years to serve, but suspended the active prison time so he will not spend any time behind bars,” according to prosecutors in the news release.
Challenges of prosecuting domestic violence
Prosecutors in the release said that cases surrounding domestic violence incidents are “the most challenging cases to prosecute” as it traps families in a cycle of physical, emotional and psychological abuse.
“Breaking that cycle requires more than awareness. It requires accountability,” according to the news release.
“We are committed to pursuing domestic violence cases regardless of the obstacles because every act of violence deserves to be answered,” District Attorney Anita Howard said. “We recognize that victims of domestic violence often face extraordinary pressure, and we will always stand beside them. The cycle of violence does not break on its own. It requires accountability, and this Office will continue to do what we can within the law.”
