A woman told Atlanta police that her child's father physically assaulted her during a dispute at a home on 2nd Street NW, and officers who responded around 2:49 p.m. last Friday found a damaged front door and other signs of a struggle. Investigators are now trying to track down the man they've identified as the suspect, 24-year-old Deandre Bussey, who they say had already left the home before officers arrived.
According to FOX 5 Atlanta, Bussey was last seen walking north on Hollywood Road on the day of the alleged assault. Police are searching for him in connection with an alleged aggravated domestic violence assault, per a Crime Stoppers Atlanta press release, and Crime Stoppers is now offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to his arrest. Tips can be submitted anonymously to Crime Stoppers Atlanta at 404-577-TIPS (8477).
Why the Charge Carries Extra Weight
Because the alleged victim is the mother of Bussey's child, the case falls under Georgia's Family Violence Act, which covers acts of battery, assault, and property damage committed between co-parents and triggers mandatory arrest protocols once probable cause is established, according to FindLaw. That classification helps explain why police moved quickly to file felony charges and launch a search after spotting the broken door and struggle evidence inside the home.
Under Georgia Code § 16-5-21, an aggravated assault charge involving a victim covered by the Family Violence Act is a felony carrying a mandatory minimum sentence of three years and up to 20 years in state prison, per the Jarrett Firm. That mandatory minimum applies if Bussey is caught, charged, and ultimately convicted.
A Broader Pattern Across Metro Atlanta
The search for Bussey lands amid what Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has publicly called a domestic violence “epidemic,” with her office prosecuting nearly 1,000 pending felony domestic violence cases as of late last year, according to WSB-TV. The Atlanta Police Department separately reported a 27% jump in domestic violence cases last year, a rise attributed to improved incident-tracking technology and more victims coming forward, prompting fugitive sweeps like Operation Grinch to clear hundreds of outstanding domestic violence warrants.
The $5,000 reward ceiling itself reflects a broader shift: Crime Stoppers of Greater Atlanta raised its standard cash reward from $2,000 to up to $5,000 last year specifically to encourage tips leading to the arrest of wanted felony fugitives, according to the Atlanta Police Foundation. Statewide data underscores the stakes in these cases: firearms were used in 80% of Georgia's domestic violence fatalities in 2024, with a domestic violence death occurring in the state roughly every 48 hours, according to Safer Georgia.
Resources Available to Survivors
Fulton County domestic violence victims can get free legal help and guidance on temporary protective orders through the Safe Families Office inside the Fulton County Courthouse, a service run through a partnership between the Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation and Partnership Against Domestic Violence. Georgia courts issued 17,662 emergency temporary protective orders in 2024, though only 41% were later converted into longer-term orders after formal hearings, per Safer Georgia's data.
Survivors also now have a newer privacy tool at their disposal. Georgia's Secretary of State launched the Safe at Home shield last month, an address confidentiality program letting domestic violence and stalking survivors use a substitute mailing address on public records to keep abusers from finding them. The case echoes another recent metro Atlanta incident Hoodline covered involving a Canton man accused of firing a gun inside his home while his children fled to get help, a case that similarly triggered felony penalties under the same aggravated assault statute.
Anyone with information on Bussey's whereabouts is urged to contact Crime Stoppers Atlanta anonymously. As of publication, investigators say he remains at large.
