A murder suspect arrested on Saturday had several prior arrests including three pending charges from October.

Jimmy Jerome Tatum, 28, Hamlet, was arrested for the shooting death of Corey Jasper at a home on Lavoria Lane in Hamlet early Saturday morning. The shooting following an altercation which started at a local night club that same evening, lawmen say.

Tatum has been tagged with over 20 charges prior to Saturday, beginning in 1997 with misdemeanor assault with intent to seriously injure and simple assault. He was convicted of the lesser charge and received no jail time, according to court documents.

He was 16 at the time and received one year probation.

Three misdemeanor infractions from October include disorderly conduct, resisting a public officer and assault on a government official. He already had a Jan. 7 court date on those charges.

In all, Tatum has been convicted of three criminal crimes including simple assault in 1997, resisting a public officer in 2000 and carrying a concealed weapon in 2005. All were misdemeanors and he served no jail time. The concealed weapon conviction carried a 24 month probation period.

Tatum was found not guilty of misdemeanor assault with intent to seriously injure in December 2005, according to court documents.

Among other arrests, which were dismissed, were two counts of assault on a female, four counts of injury to real property, communicating threats, assault on a government official or employee and second-degree trespassing.

Included in his priors were traffic violations ranging from simple seat belt infractions to no operators license to a Level 1 driving under the influence charge.

Tatum is awaiting his Jan. 14 court date in the Richmond County Jail on the murder charge.

Staff writer Bryan Stewart can be reached at 997-3111 ext. 15 or by e-mail at bstewart@yourdailyjournal.com.