Less than two weeks before Jahmare Brown was arrested in the fatal stabbing of 23-year-old Alyssa Paige on the BeltLine Trail, he had been accused of waving a knife and threatening to kill a man in Downtown Atlanta.
According to records uncovered by WSB-TV, Brown, 21, was not arrested. Instead, the responding Atlanta Police officer and the person who reported the incident agreed Brown should be taken to the Center for Diversion and Services to receive mental health treatment.
The Diversion Center is a joint venture between Atlanta, Fulton County, and Grady Hospital, with Grady operating the center. People brought there can receive a hot meal, a shower, and free laundry before being referred to legal services and case managers for housing, food stamps, mental health treatment, and substance use programs.
Since opening in 2025, the $3 million facility on Peachtree Street has been largely underused by local law enforcement. At its peak, the center averaged eight daily referrals, well below the 40 it was designed to handle.
The Police Alternatives and Diversion Initiative, which had been providing long-term case management at the center, ceased operations earlier this year.