A Waycross police detective is off the streets and under investigation after a parking lot confrontation left the grandmother of his child with visible facial injuries, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation has now stepped in. Police records identify the officer as Detective Marc Horne. He has not been charged, and cellphone video of the encounter has been circulating online.
According to News4JAX, officers were called around 2:40 p.m. Thursday to the parking lot of Southeast Georgia Pediatrics. When they arrived, several clinic staff members were treating Kisha Smith, who was described in the report as holding a cloth to her face, with a small cut on her upper lip and an apparent jaw injury. Witnesses told officers that Horne struck Smith, and police reviewed two cellphone recordings, one filmed by Horne’s mother and one on Horne’s phone, including footage that later surfaced online.
Action News Jax and other outlets report that the Waycross Police Department quickly handed the case to the GBI for an outside review, a move departments often make when an officer is accused of using force off duty or in a domestic context. No one was arrested at the scene, and Horne’s attorney declined to comment.
“Detective Horne has been placed on administrative leave pending the completion of both the Waycross Police Department's internal investigation and the concurrent investigation being conducted by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation,” Waycross Police Chief Tommy Cox told News4JAX. The department said it will not release additional details for now, citing the need to protect the integrity of the ongoing probe.
Previous Allegations And Custody Dispute
Local coverage shows this is not the first time Horne’s off-duty life has drawn official scrutiny. In April, the child’s mother, Tristen Music, accused Horne of domestic violence, an allegation that led to an earlier period of administrative leave before he was cleared to return to duty following an internal review, according to WSAV. Horne and several family members are also involved in an ongoing custody battle that has played out both in local courtrooms and across social media, and witnesses at the pediatric clinic told officers they want the latest incident fully sorted out by investigators.
What The GBI Will Do Next
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation typically conducts its own independent review, then sends the full case file to the local district attorney, who decides whether criminal charges are warranted. The agency has followed that playbook in other recent Waycross area cases. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation also maintains public guidance and a tip portal for people who may have information relevant to active cases.
Waycross Judicial Circuit District Attorney Marilyn Bennett told reporters her office had not yet received any investigative reports related to the parking lot encounter, so any decision on potential charges will have to wait on the findings from the GBI and the police department’s internal inquiry. Family members and several clinic staffers who witnessed the clash say they want a transparent process as both investigations move forward.
Anyone with information about the incident can submit tips to the GBI online or through its “See Something Send Something” program. Hoodline will update this story as officials release findings or announce any charges.
