Georgia man dies three days after being punched in restaurant car park
Calvin Edwards is charged with murder and aggravated battery and held without bond
A Georgia man has died three days after being punched outside a restaurant car park in Riverdale, with a suspect now charged with murder after the single blow caused the victim's head to strike concrete, police confirmed on Monday.
Riverdale Police Department officers responded to a call near Georgia Highway 65 at approximately 9pm on 9 June, and found Charles Chandler lying unresponsive on the ground outside a nearby restaurant. Restaurant employees told officers they had learned of the incident from customers who spotted Chandler on the ground.
Early investigations revealed that Chandler had been involved in an encounter with another man in the car park before being punched and falling, his head striking the concrete surface. He was taken to hospital in stable condition but remained unconscious throughout.
Chandler dies from his injuries
On Friday, the Riverdale Police Department was notified that Chandler had died as a result of his injuries — three days after the assault took place.
Suspect identified and arrested
Following the attack, the suspect allegedly fled the scene in a maroon Dodge Challenger, police said. Investigators subsequently identified the suspect as Calvin Edwards, who was taken into custody and charged with aggravated battery and murder, according to online jail records viewed by PEOPLE. Edwards was booked into Clayton County Jail, where he is currently being held without bond on the murder charge.
Police have not disclosed how Edwards was linked to the assault or whether he had any prior connection to Chandler. The investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with additional information is urged to contact the Riverdale Police Department's Criminal Investigation Division.
