A man who exchanged gunfire with a Hall County deputy while fleeing a traffic stop was driving under the influence of drugs, the GBI said Monday.
Several deputies had tried to stop a vehicle that was driving erratically in the northbound lanes of I-985 at about 3 a.m. Sunday, according to the Hall County Sheriff’s Office. The driver, identified as Austin Cole Abel, 26, of Cleveland, then turned onto Lula Road while being followed by one of the deputies.
“Initial details of the investigation indicate Mr. Abel opened fire on the patrol vehicle and the deputy returned fire,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement. “Neither was injured.”
Abel shot the patrol car multiple times, the GBI said.
After the shootout, the sheriff’s office said Abel continued on Lula Road and eventually drove into a ditch, causing his SUV to flip.
“After the SUV was stopped, Abel initially refused to come out of the SUV, but eventually complied and was taken into custody,” the GBI said.
Additional deputies arrived and took the suspect into custody following a brief standoff. He complained of minor injuries but refused medical treatment, according to authorities.
No deputies were injured, investigators said.
Abel was charged with four counts of aggravated assault on a police officer, fleeing/attempting to elude, obstruction of a police officer, DUI drugs and multiple other traffic violations.
The shooting is being investigated by the GBI, while sheriff’s office investigators are looking into “the other aspects of the incident,” officials said.
It was the first officer-involved shooting being investigated this year by the GBI. In 2024, the state agency investigated 84 such incidents.
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