DALTON, Ga. — Seven people have been charged with robbery — three also with aggravated assault and battery and two also with simple battery — after a drug deal between two groups included a robbery that was later met with “retaliation,” the Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office said.

On Sept. 18, deputies went to the emergency room at Hamilton Medical Center concerning three people with “extensive injuries.” The three — Derrick Hammontree, 19; Gage Long, 18; and Whitney Scarbro, 19 — said they had gone to 1698 Westside Circle in Rocky Face that day “to attend a gathering.”

The individuals said when they arrived they were “assaulted” and robbed by a group. That group included Malik Dixon, 18; Amir El-Ameen, 19; Trey Ramsey, 18; and Daniel Solorzano, 18, the sheriff’s office said.

According to a sheriff’s office incident report, Hammontree told a deputy at the hospital he had been texting with Ramsey during the day and they planned to have a bonfire and “smoke some weed.” There was also supposed to Xanax.

“Derrick stated he did owe Trey some money but was not much,” the report said.

Hammontree said when they got to the back of the residence all three “got jumped.”

“Derrick stated he was placed into a headlock and they began to choke him out,” the report said. “Derrick stated he did black out.”

He said when he woke up, “money, jewelry and his shoes were missing. When he came to he was on the ground being punched and kicked. Derrick stated the black male who placed him into the headlock stated to him, ‘You are going to remember me.’”

He said when he tried to get to the car, “someone placed a gun to his head. … he was again struck with a hard object to the back of the head, which he believed to be the gun.” He did not remember the trip to the hospital.

Long said when he got to the back of the residence and saw several people, “he suddenly got a real bad feeling.” He also said all three in his group were “jumped.” He said his shoes were taken but wasn’t sure if anything else was.

Scarbro said she was “punched, kicked and grabbed about her neck. Whitney stated she blacked out due to being strangled.”

When she woke up she saw that Hammontree and Long had also been beaten up. She said she was able to drive them to the hospital.

The deputy took photos and noted in the incident report that Scarbro had “very noticeable redness about the outer eyeball area. (The deputy) also observed several knots about the face and head of Whitney. About the neck area (the deputy) observed redness consistent with someone having been grabbed about the neck … (The deputy) also observed small blood spots about the right eye of Whitney consistent with someone having been strangled. …

“Gage had some redness about the top of his head. (The deputy) observed redness about the upper body of Gage consistent with someone having been struck multiple times about the chest, side and back area.”

The deputy “observed on the back of Derrick’s head a place which appeared to be more of a puncture hole vs. a laceration. (The deputy) observed many severe lumps. bruises and abrasions” on Hammontree.

The photos of the three were placed into property and evidence.

Photos of the car were also taken. There appeared to be some damage to the right side near the “door handle areas,” and the right rear corner panel “looked as if it had been scraped.”

“On the hood of the car there was what appeared to have been someone having been on the hood with their hands, and their fingers had slid across the hood as if an attempt to grab something,” the incident report said.

The deputy “also observed in the driver seat what appeared to be blood streaked …” 

“During the course of the investigation, investigators discovered that the cause of this event was linked to a drug transaction between members of both parties … which had occurred earlier in the week,” the sheriff’s office said. “During this separate incident, a robbery occurred which resulted in this retaliation.”

All seven individuals were criminally charged:

• Dixon, of 2206 Old Happy Way-6, Dalton, with robbery, aggravated assault and battery.

• El-Ameen, of 1116 Willowdale Road N.W.-624, Dalton, with robbery, aggravated assault and battery.

• Hammontree, of 321 Westwood Circle, Dalton, with robbery and simple battery.

• Long, of 1323 Peggy Lane, Tunnel Hill, with robbery and simple battery.

• Ramsey, of 209 Oakstone Way, Dalton, with robbery, aggravated assault and battery.

• Scarbro, of 153 Stonecrest Drive, Rocky Face, with robbery.

• Solorzano, of 1705 Westside Circle, Rocky Face, with robbery and conspiracy to commit a felony.