COBB COUNTY, Ga. — Arrest warrants for one of the two suspects in custody following the killing last week of two Cobb County deputies, in what was described as an ambush, identify the alleged shooter.
Deputies Jonathan Koleski and Marshall Ervin, Jr. were both shot as they attempted to serve a warrant at a home outside Marietta. Services for Koleski, a U.S. Army veteran and husband, and Ervin, a husband and father of two, will be held later this week.
Jail records showed Christopher Golden was booked on two counts of felony murder and two counts of aggravated assault of an officer, and an arrest warrant for those charges gives a rough outline of his role as the alleged shooter.
The warrants are not detailed, but do point to Golden as the suspect who "did discharge a firearm into the person of the victim causing the victim to suffer pain, visible injuries and internal injuries which ultimately led to the death of the victim."
The warrant repeats that description on each of the four charges - both the two for murder of Koleski and Ervin and the two for aggravated assault of an officer.
Golden was denied bond last week, as only a superior court judge can grant it to a suspect charged with murder. His bond hearing is set for Sept. 27 at 1 p.m.
The other suspect in the case, Christopher Cook, is charged with three counts of felony unindicted theft by receiving stolen property.
11Alive's Joe Henke reported last week on the criminal histories of Golden and Cook.
Cobb County court records show 32-year-old Cook has been arrested for theft-related charges several times in the past. In one case, 29-year-old Golden is listed as his co-defendant.
The case involving both suspects took place in 2019. Golden was charged with theft for taking an Apple iPad and a toolbox with tools inside. Investigators in warrants claimed Golden sold the tools to a pawn shop for $200, while Cook sold the iPad to a pawn shop for $125; those sales led to theft by deception charges. All charges, in this case, are listed as misdemeanors.
In 2012, Cook was arrested for burglary along with a different co-defendant. When arrested he was accused according to warrants of entering his mother’s house through a rear window and taking an Apple iPad, television, and computer.
The pair were also accused of entering a church in Smyrna by forcing open an entry and taking a .22 caliber pistol, sword, guitar, and model ships. Later they allegedly entered a Mableton church and took an air compressor and food. The warrants also mention Cook and his co-defendant had seven small clear bags containing approximately 14 grams of cocaine.
Photos | 2 Cobb County deputies killed
The 2012 case resulted in Cook being found guilty of three counts of burglary, two counts of theft, and a violation of the state’s-controlled substances act. He was sentenced to 10 years on probation.
Cook was also arrested for a theft case in February of this year. In that case, he is charged with three felony counts of theft for taking a ring worth more than $1500, a bracelet worth more than $1500, and a necklace valued at more than $3500. He is charged with misdemeanor theft by deception for allegedly selling some of the items to pawn shops for a total of $650.
Arrest warrants for two additional misdemeanor charges of theft by deception were taken out against Cook in February of 2022 for allegedly selling a known stolen white gold chain to a pawn shop for $350 and another gold chain and diamond pendant for $125.
Other than the 2012 case, there is no disposition listed for any of the above cases.
The incident unfolded Thursday night after deputies went to the home just outside Marietta to serve a warrant after one individual didn't appear for a court hearing on a theft charge.
The sheriff's office said the deputies rang the home's doorbell and were returning to their patrol vehicle when a car pulled up to the home and fired on them.
An hour-long standoff ensued after that, with SWAT and numerous support agencies on scene, before the two were taken into custody.