Active Death Investigation

Update: Wednesday, July 3, 2019, at 12:30 P.M.

Today Canton Detectives arrested Gary Matthew Allen (31 yrs old) of Jasper Georgia.  The arrest came as part of an ongoing investigation of the death of Leon Danzis that occurred at a local restaurant on Friday, June 28, 2019.

Mr. Allen was arrested and transported to the Cherokee County Adult Detention Center, where he was booked in with the following charges:

O.C.G.A 16-5-21(a)(2) Aggravated Assult With A Deadly Weapon (1 count) (Felony)
O.C.G.A 16-5-24(a) Aggravated Battery (1 count) (Felony)
O.C.G.A 16-5-1(c) Murder during the Commission of a Felony (1count)


Original Press Release (6/29/2019 AT 5:46 A.M.):


The Canton Police Department responded to Canton Ice House at 150 Keith Dr. Canton, Ga on June 28th at approximately 10:19 p.m. in reference to an altercation which had occurred inside the business. Leon Danzis, a 45-year-old male of Houschton, Ga. was transported to Northside Cherokee Hospital and was later pronounced deceased. The Canton Police Department is actively investigating this incident and ask anyone with information to please contact the Police Department at (770)720-4883.

Canton Police Welcomes New Officers

Canton Police held a swearing-in ceremony for its newest Officers Michael Caplan, Hayley Wagner, and Carlos Henao.

Officer Caplan, Officer Wagner, and Officer Henao

They were sworn into the department by Judge Darrell Caudill on Wednesday, June 26, 2019, at Canton Police Department. Family, friends and other members of the Canton Police force were in attendance to show their support.

Chief Mark Mitchell stated "We are certain they are going to be a very good fit and an asset to our agency and community we serve. They all have the right Attitude, Mindset, and Heart to be part of the Police Department and citizens we engage with every day.”

Left to right: Deputy Chief Stephen Merrifield, Lt. Matt Baldwin, Officer Michael Caplan, Officer Hayley Wagner, Lt. John Lummus, Officer Carlos Henao, Captain Jeff Tucker, and Captain Wendell Turner.

Detectives Charge Burglary Suspect

On Wednesday, May 15, 2019, at 1:41 a.m., officers responded to an audible alarm at the Cloud 9 Smoke and Vape Company located at 180 Riverstone Parkway, Suite 100.  Upon arrival, units discovered the front glass door of the business to be shattered with a large cinder-block.  Further investigation revealed through video surveillance, a young white male wearing a grey hoodie threw a cinder-block through the door and stole several vape devices before quickly leaving the store.

Police Detectives began working the case, followed several leads and received information to help solve the incident through social media after the agency shared it with the public.  The suspect is a juvenile and will be charged with Burglary (GA Code § 16-7-1). The burglary investigation led detectives to charge the suspect with Shoplifting (GA Code §16-8-14) from an unsolved case that occurred at the Canton Wal-Mart on May 7, 2019.  In addition, the individual had been arrested by the Cherokee Sheriff’s Office in connection with an earlier burglary back in April of this year.

Chief Mark J. Mitchell added, "I appreciate the very hard work of our detectives to solve this case.  Also, we are very grateful for the public's help via social media to assist in the identification of the suspect.  Our Social Media platforms have been a great tool to help us quickly get information out to the community who in-turn supports and partners with us each day to improve the quality of life for us all in our great city." 

Canton Police Welcomes New Officer

Canton Police held a swearing-in ceremony for its newest Officer, Dennis Pishock. He was sworn into the department by Judge Thomas A. Roach Jr. on Monday, May 6, 2019. Family, friends and other members of the Canton Police force were in attendance to show their support. Officer Pishock comes to us as a Certified Officer and 18 years of experience with the Gwinnett County Fire Department.

Chief Mark Mitchell stated "We feel Officer Pishock is going to be a very good fit and an asset to our agency and community we serve. He has the right Attitude, Mindset, and Heart to be part of the Police Department and citizens we engage with each day."

False Report of a Crime Arrest

Canton Police announce the arrest of a suspect, Dakota Hoskins (28 YOA) of Jasper, Georgia. Hoskins is charged with False Report of a Crime and Misuse of 911. These charges stem from an incident that took place on  April 24th, 2019 where Canton Police received a 911 call regarding an Armed Robbery taking place at a local convenience store in Canton.

Canton Officers and Detectives determined that no crime had taken place and the 911 call was a False Report.  Mr. Hoskins was determined to be the suspect after reviewing the 911 call and previous incidents where he had been arrested.

During the investigation, Canton Police Detectives spoke with Detectives from the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office and the Cherokee County Marshall's Office. Hoskins was also charged with additional charges stemming from other incidents on previous dates where he had made similar calls to 911 and which were also False Reports. At this time, Hoskins has been arrested and is being held in the Cherokee County Jail.

Canton Police Welcomes New Officer

Canton Police held a swearing-in ceremony for its newest Officer, Tyler Schluter. He was sworn into the department by Judge Thomas A. Roach Jr. on Wednesday, April 24, 2019, at Canton City Hall. Family, friends and other members of the Canton Police force were in attendance to show their support. Officer Schluter had previously serviced as a police officer in Atlanta before joining our department.


Chief Mark Mitchell stated "We feel Officer Schluter is going to be a very good fit and an asset to our agency and community we serve.  He has the right Attitude, Mindset, and Heart to be part of the Police Department and citizens we engage with each day." 

Easter Egg Hunt – Community Cookout – Unity Walk

The Canton Police Department in partnership with the below organizations would like to invite the community we serve to our 4th Annual Easter Egg Hunt, Community Cookout and Unity walk scheduled this year at Etowah River Park on Saturday, April 20, 2019, from 12:00 – 3:00 pm.  The event will be held at the park pavilion and will kick off with several different egg hunts for children of all ages.  The hunt for eggs will be followed by a cookout and then everyone will join in a walk of unity from Etowah River Park to Heritage Park and back to the pavilion.  There will also be jumpy houses for kids and many of the department’s police vehicles for children to explore.
Community Partners

• Hickory Log Baptist Church
• Zion Baptist Church
• St. Paul AME Church
• Zion Full Gospel World Ministries
• The City of Covenant Church
• Mt. Calvary Baptist Church
• Iglesia Pentecostes El Faro 
• Iglesia Mana Para Siempre
• Hasty Fine Arts Academy 

Chief Mark J. Mitchell states, “We look forward to this event each year because of the excellent opportunity our Officers have to engage with the children and parents we serve in our great community.  We are grateful and blessed to have an awesome partnership with our local churches and Hasty Elementary School.  We hope this year’s program is our largest event yet because we want to bring as many people together in unity to continue to improve trust and build long-lasting relationships for our future.”