Russell Answer’s Woman’s Request with Gun Threat, Receives 15-Year Sentence

A convicted felon from Atlanta will return to prison after pointing a gun at a woman who asked him to turn his music down, according to Douglas County District Attorney David McDade.

LaMorris Delano Russell, 23, received a 15-year sentence from Chief Superior Court Judge Robert J. James after entering a guilty plea Wednesday to charges of Aggravated Assault, Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, Escape, two counts of Forgery, Obstruction of an Officer and Giving False Information to a Law Enforcement Officer. Russell will serve the first five years of his sentence in prison.

Russell, who has a previous burglary conviction from Fulton County on his criminal record, was arrested again on September 18th when he responded to a woman’s request to turn down his music by waving and pointing a .45 caliber gun at her face. The incident took place at Douglasville Proper Apartments, where Assistant District Attorney Steve Knittel described the assault occurring after the victim struggled to sleep.

“The victim came home around 6 a.m. and attempted to go to sleep, but there was music coming from the other room that was too loud,” said Knittel, who also stated Russell was staying with another woman at the same residence. “So the victim knocked on the door, basically telling them to quiet down. Mr. Russell came out with a black handgun in his hands…He was waving the gun and pointing it at her, saying, ‘I don’t give a [expletive]’ what she thinks.”

Russell continued to scream and curse while pointing the gun at the victim’s face. Knittel said the other woman was finally able to hold back the defendant, which gave the victim time to run to her bedroom, lock the door and call police.

Police found Russell and the other woman in a locked bedroom. Inside the same room, a gun matching the description of the weapon used in the assault was discovered in a clothes hamper.

Russell continued to rack up additional charges. He attempted to flee the residence from police in handcuffs and provided four different false identities while being booked-in at the Douglasville Police Department. Russell took the false identity a step further by signing two jail documents under the alias “Torri Pittman.” A day later he tried to escape from officers again, this time while being transported back to jail from his bond hearing.