Man accused of killing Gwinnett’s father, coach has been in and out of jail, police testify

In the years before beloved Gwinnett County football coach and father Bradley Coleman died, the three men charged with his murder had all been in and out of jail, prosecutors said in court Friday.

Channel 2 Gwinnett County Supervisor Matt Johnson Four police officers testified in court on Friday about their previous arrests of defendants Josiah Hughley, David Booker and Miles Collins.

Prosecutors say their convictions or guilty pleas for stolen cars as teenagers paved the way for their gang lifestyles as adults.

The trio, now in their 20s, are on trial for allegedly killing Coleman, 29, at a Peachtree Corners gas station in 2022 and trying to steal his car.

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Prosecutors on Friday documented the three’s individual criminal histories in Rockdale and Fulton counties.

A former Atlanta Police Department officer testified that David Booker was a passenger in a stolen car in 2018 that led to a dangerous pursuit by Atlanta police.

“We chased the suspect through the school when he was out of school, so there were hundreds of kids outside, and at one point a civilian was hit by a vehicle near Grant Park,” the officer said.

Another officer with the Conyers Police Department testified regarding Myles Collins’ arrest in a previous slider crime.

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Josiah Hughley is accused of shooting Coleman in July 2022. A state trooper testified that he arrested Hughley in 2019 after he abandoned a stolen car during a police pursuit.

“He fell face down and rolled on his back and I pulled my Taser out of there and ordered him to surrender, which he did,” the trooper said.

Each suspect faces gang charges. Defense attorneys argued there wasn’t enough evidence to prove gang ties.

Testimony is expected to resume as soon as Tuesday.

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