Arrive Perimeter in 2019
There will never be justice in criminal court for Georgia man James Curtis Jones, 45. He was shot and killed last year on April 8 at the apartment complex where he lived in Dunwoody, Georgia, police said. The suspect, local DeKalb County teacher Roy McClendon-Thompson, 42, died while allegedly fleeing on cops in a vehicle. But now Jones’s mother, Ruth Wilson, is suing that same apartment complex in civil court. The plaintiff’s team is arguing that the shooting would have been preventable had the company maintained better security measures amid increased criminal activity in the area.
“Those responsible for protecting residents and maintaining a safe environment entirely failed to do so, resulting in James Curtis Jones’ tragic and untimely death,” plaintiff attorneys John Morgan and Nigel Phiri. “Despite knowing that there had been an increase in criminal activity in and around the apartment complex, we allege the defendants negligently failed to provide adequate security for their tenants, including failing to vet visitors entering the property. We believe this tragedy was preventable if the property implemented and followed necessary policies and protocols to ensure a safe environment at the Arrive Perimeter Apartments.”
Jones was found dead in the parking lot of the complex.
The defendant is company FPACP3 Ashford, LLC, the owner of the Arrive Perimeter apartments. Arrive Perimeter did not quickly respond to a Law&Crime request for comment.
McClendon-Thompson, a married and apparently popular teacher, brought along a complicated backstory. He had been charged with embezzling more than $103,000 from the Tabernacle Baptist Church and bonded out of jail. That case was pending when he allegedly killed Jones. His attorney denied the embezzlement allegation and insisted that bank statements would prove his client’s innocence.
Police said that the killer and victim had been dating, but that fell apart: about two days before the shooting, McClendon-Thompson claimed Jones was cheating on him. According to cops, Jones said that McClendon-Thompson threatened him, though the suspect claimed to have blocked the other man on his phone. No charges were filed in this initial matter.
[Screengrab via WSB-TV]
