Police said a verbal argument escalated near the Eastside Trail before a 29-year-old man was fatally stabbed Sunday afternoon.
ATLANTA, Ga. — A 54-year-old man has been charged with murder after police said an argument escalated into a fatal stabbing Sunday near a busy section of the Atlanta BeltLine, leaving a 29-year-old man dead.
Atlanta police identified the suspect as Jonathan Hamby, who was detained at the scene near the Kroger grocery store at 725 Ponce de Leon Ave. NE. Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said officers responded shortly after 4 p.m. Sunday and found the victim with a stab wound. The victim was taken by ambulance to Grady Memorial Hospital, where he died. His name had not been released as of Monday morning.
Police said their preliminary investigation indicates the encounter began as a verbal argument and quickly turned violent. Investigators have not publicly detailed what the two men were arguing about or what happened immediately before the stabbing. Authorities also have not said that the men knew one another before the confrontation.
Officers recovered a knife that investigators believe was used in the attack. Hamby was taken into custody and brought to Atlanta police headquarters for questioning after the stabbing. By Monday, he had been booked on charges of murder, aggravated assault, terroristic threats and acts, and possession of a firearm or knife during the commission of a felony.
The charges are accusations, and Hamby is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court. Police said the investigation remains active, and information released in the early stages of the case could change as detectives gather evidence and interview witnesses.
Schierbaum said Sunday that investigators did not believe there was an continuing threat to people using the BeltLine. The stabbing occurred along or near the Eastside Trail in the Ponce de Leon Avenue area, a heavily traveled section of the trail that connects neighborhoods, businesses and other destinations in the city.
Public records reviewed by local news organizations show Hamby has had numerous previous contacts with the criminal justice system. CBS News Atlanta reported that Fulton County Jail records show bookings dating to 2011 involving charges that included obstruction, battery, criminal trespass, aggravated assault and possession of a knife during the commission of a felony. Prior arrests do not establish guilt in the current case.
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said Monday that the city would review the public-safety response surrounding the attack. He said he asked the city’s public safety and BeltLine teams to examine patrols, camera coverage and emergency response connected to the incident. Dickens also said the case raises broader questions involving behavioral health, repeat offenders and the systems responsible for addressing those issues.
Atlanta police homicide and aggravated assault investigators are continuing to examine the circumstances leading to the stabbing. Authorities had not released the victim’s identity Monday morning, and additional details about the confrontation remained under investigation.
Author note: Last updated August 24, 2026.