Javaris Crittenton Murder Charges: Arrest Warrant Issued For Former NBA Player

ATLANTA — Police said late Friday that former NBA player Javaris Crittenton, who was once suspended by the league over guns in the locker room, has been charged with murder after a woman was shot on an Atlanta street.

Police spokesman Carlos Campos said police have secured a murder warrant for the arrest of Crittenton, who played at Georgia Tech, in connection with the shooting death of 22-year-old Jullian Jones on Aug. 19. Campos said Crittenton is not in custody and is wanted.

Atlanta police Maj. Keith Meadows told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Friday night that Crittenton is believed to be in the Los Angeles area. He said the FBI is involved in the investigation.

Jones, a mother of four, was walking with a group of people on the city's southwest side when a dark-colored SUV drove by and she was shot by someone inside the vehicle, police said.

Investigators say they don't believe the woman was the intended target. Campos said the motive appears to be retaliation for a robbery in April, in which Crittenton was a victim, Campos said in a statement.

Messages left for an agent who has represented Crittenton were not immediately returned Friday night.

Crittenton most recently played in the NBA with the Washington Wizards and was involved in a gun altercation with Gilbert Arenas. He is on the roster of the NBDL's Dakota Wizards.

Crittenton didn't play last season because of an ankle injury. He was given a 38-game suspension by the NBA after he and Arenas acknowledged bringing guns into the locker room following a dispute stemming from a card game on a team flight.

Crittenton pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor gun charge on Jan. 25, 2010 and received probation. He wasn't re-signed by the Wizards.

The Charlotte Bobcats signed Crittenton to a non-guaranteed contract before last season but he was waived Oct. 15.

Crittenton was the 19th overall pick by the Los Angeles Lakers in 2007. He played little with Los Angeles and was sent to Memphis in the Pau Gasol deal his rookie year. He was traded to Washington in December 2008.

Crittenton averaged 5.3 points and 1.8 assists in 113 NBA games.

Comments

[dbrett480]

03:15 PM on 09/03/2011

Wow. It always amazes me how pro athletes can just throw away everything God gave them.

[Jacob007]

07:25 AM on 09/01/2011

Killing a mother over jewelry tell you enough about this man.

[jwill681]

03:32 PM on 08/31/2011

It is a shame. I do not think anyone here has any sympathy for this man which they should not, but it is odd that every time a story like this breaks, the racist come out when it is a minority. However, when it is a white guy/ gal people still comment, but it never involves race.
I enjoy seeing comments on stories, but whenever I see a minority that did something bad, I prepare myself to the sickening comments about race that are thrown around. Weird how I never saw a racist comment regarding the Kasey Anthony story or those sick individuals that starved their child to death and made him sleep in a cage.

[vaarluukl]

12:17 PM on 08/28/2011

ive had my fill of huffpost not allowing post that are racial in nature...sometimes race is the issue and this is one of those times you cant take the ghetto mindset out of some ppl regardless to how much money some ppl take in or their achievements or how much public scrutiny they recieve its shamefull...dont believe me ask a responsable black man how he feels...it sets the race back as a whole..everything their grandparents and great grandparents worked to achieve is erased by''talented''thugs

[zico]

02:30 PM on 08/28/2011

wow..right on target vaarluuki....and many many more coming up. its their nature. if not ask O.J. , Rae Carruth, Plaxico Burress etc etc........you dont see it.. on Kevin Love, nor on John Elway nor on Tom Brady just to match names........

[jstjoe]

03:26 PM on 08/28/2011

Read a book , imbeciles, educate yourself. There is no , wait for it , let is sink in .... NO distinction of RACE within the human population. The "differences" that exist are cultural or the product of adaption to environment. So in review , " those" people are exactly the same as you aside from environment and choices. There is NO pre-disposition to any sort of action or attitude. Statements contrary to that are nothing more than the commentary of the ignorant and serve no purpose here.

[Valois]

03:47 PM on 08/28/2011

you don't see this kind of action in Derrick Rose or Lebron James either so maybe race has nothing to do with it. Some people are just ghetto, and that includes white people too.

[zrh115]

10:28 AM on 08/28/2011

college grad, nba player...makes one think

[MNKen]

03:05 PM on 08/29/2011

You forgot to mention the thing he was most noted for...threatening a team mate with a gun.

And so many people thought it was just awful that his guns were taken away from him after that incident. Gee, wonder why?

[happyblackman]

09:00 AM on 08/28/2011

In hindsight, I think Gilbert Arenas had right to fear for his life! This reminds me of the whole Rae Carruth situation. Some people just have no sense, and think violence solves everything. If he did this, and it seems like his buddies who were riding with him sold him out, he should spend the rest of his pathetic existence in the finest prison Georgia has to offer.

[cybolt]

04:10 AM on 08/28/2011

What an absurd headline: "ex-Laker."
He was on the team for about 20 games. Spent most of his career with Washington.

[MXL]

06:27 AM on 08/28/2011

They only used that on the Los Angeles page. The headline on the Sports page just says ex-NBA player.

On another note, even if he played only one game in purple and gold, he's still an ex-Laker.

[cybolt]

02:46 PM on 08/28/2011

I'd bet 95% of all Laker fans (and Ive been one since West and Baylor) wouldn't recall Crittenton but thanks for stating the obvious.

Anyone who follows hoops knows him as a former Wizard.

[ART ALCALA]

04:29 PM on 08/28/2011

ditto.

[Ayana Fakhir]

01:18 AM on 08/28/2011

Guns are the rule; avoiding bullets the exception that proves the rule? I don't know anymore. When is Gilbert Arenas going to be arrested again, or did he go into "Celebrity violent weapons and/or dangerous instrumentality rehab"?

[jmartinlegal]

01:06 AM on 08/28/2011

Think, you liberals. Think! Somehow we can spin this so it appears to be the fault of the white establishment, capitalism, private ownership of property, George W. Bush, and Christianity.

[FNBS Media com]

04:38 AM on 08/28/2011

you are less than bright; although, i am certain that you have been informed of this challenge for many years now.

[americancolonyinhell]

11:05 PM on 08/27/2011

He deserves whatever's coming to him.

[FNBS Media com]

04:38 AM on 08/28/2011

everyone does. it goes without saying and needs not be stated.

[americancolonyinhell]

12:03 PM on 08/28/2011

Exceedingly moronic responses like yours make me wonder why I even bother to post.

[Luvnumber9]

10:55 PM on 08/27/2011

Wake up people! She was the chick who set him up to get rob. He was wrong for shooting her but don't be fooled by this story...more will unfold.

[FNBS Media com]

04:40 AM on 08/28/2011

"wake up people...???" What the....F???

there are so many important stories to be considered. i really doubt that anyone except the relatives of the victim and perpetrator care much about this, much less consider this story to be anything for which we need to "wake up."

[StAlphonso]

12:01 PM on 08/28/2011

Who is rob?

[psychoticdream]

03:17 PM on 08/29/2011

i think she means "robbed"

it doesnt matter if she was the one that set him up to be robbed or not

if he killed her, he's a murderer.

[danusgram]

10:49 PM on 08/27/2011

I dont get it shot for a robbery hi that is what happens when you hang around with low lifes...lay with dogs and you get fleas. That being said what happened to having insurance for your valuables were you to busy blinging to think about business. What the heck is wrong with these people. I wake up everyday trying to figure out how to feed my two kids while struggling to find a job. Last week I even applied for a job paying $4.00 an hour just wanting to find away to put food on the table. I have no empathy for this guy.

[critterkitty13]

09:47 AM on 08/28/2011

What state do you reside

[Parade Keegan]

09:12 PM on 08/27/2011

And the beat goes on....

[farmilyman]

08:41 PM on 08/27/2011

Not a very good role model

[Susan Osterhout Troiano]

04:49 PM on 08/27/2011

What is up with these athletes that have money and power, and they manage to screw up their life by committing crimes. Hope he doesn't think with all his money he is going to be another OJ. They all must be following his footsteps.