Former Lakers player Shaquille O’Neal partnered with investigators in Georgia to offer a $30,000 reward for any information on the gunman who shot and wounded a Henry County police officer last week.
Officer Paramhans Desai, 38, responded to a domestic disturbance on Thursday, ABC News reports. According to the police, Desai attempted to detain and apprehend 22-year-old Jordan Jackson, who is accused of shooting the officer and fleeing in a white 2016 Honda Civic.
Desai was rushed to Grady Medical Center where he was listed in critical, but stable condition on Sunday. He's been with the Henry County Police Department for two years, but worked for the Georgia Department of Corrections and DeKalb County Police prior to joining the HCPD. The veteran officer is also married and a father of two children.
As of now, Jackson’s location is unknown, but the reward for his return was announced on Sunday. Authorities have since issued an arrest warrant for the suspect, who is wanted on aggravated assault charges in connection with the shooting. A massive manhunt for Jackson was ongoing early Monday, and officers vowed to find him in “whatever hole” he’s hiding in, 11 Alive reports.
— SheriffVictorHill (@SheriffVHill) November 5, 2021
Henry County Sheriff Reginald Scandrett informed reporters during a press conference that Jackson's behavior and those who endanger the lives of officers is unacceptable.
"Let me be crystal clear, we certainly will not tolerate any individual, regardless of who you are, coming to what we consider to be God’s country of Henry County and harming any of our police officers in any kind of way," Scandrett said. "So Mr. Jackson, whatever hole you’re in, I assure you we’re coming to find you, we will place you in custody and we will bring you to justice."
According to the Henry County Police Department, Crime Stoppers Atlanta offered $5,000, while the U.S. Marshals Office and the Harris County Sheriff’s Office offered $10,000 each in reward money. O’Neal offered $5,000, rounding out the bounty.
O’Neal, a resident of Henry County, was sworn in as a sheriff in Clayton County back in 2016, according to Police1. The over 7-foot former center was hired earlier in the year as the director of community relations for Henry County's Police Department.
