A Muscogee County sheriff’s deputy was injured in a shooting Saturday and then returned fire, hitting the two suspects, according to the GBI.
The Columbus police department was trying to initiate a traffic stop on a stolen vehicle around 3:30 p.m., but the vehicle did not stop. Multiple people were in the car, and a brief pursuit ensued until police called it off, according to a GBI news release.
A Muscogee County deputy saw the vehicle shortly after. The GBI did not say whether the deputy tried to stop the vehicle or restarted the pursuit, but a suspect drove into the deputy’s SUV in the area of Andrews Road and East Central Street, the news release states.
The occupants of the vehicle immediately got out of the car and opened fire on the deputy, according to the sheriff’s office. The deputy was struck once in the shoulder, the GBI said.
The deputy returned fire and struck two people in the car. They were identified as Adarrius Hamilton and Claudie Thompson, both 17, according to the GBI. A third person who was in the car but not injured was identified as 17-year-old Vicente Perez-Lopez. It was not clear who was driving or who fired shots, but authorities said three handguns were recovered from the stolen car.
Additionally, a bystander working at an automotive shop was shot in the leg.
The deputy and both injured suspects were taken to a hospital in Columbus. Their injuries were not life-threatening.
“Today highlights the incredibly brave actions of a Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office sergeant, who performed his duties to secure the safety and well-being of the citizens of Muscogee County,” Sheriff Greg Countryman said in a statement. “This is an absolute tragedy. It is one of the worst situations for any deputy, their family, or their co-workers, to endure.”
Hamilton, Thompson and Perez-Lopez are charged with aggravated assault on a police officer, possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime and obstruction of an officer. Police also charged Hamilton and Perez-Lopez with theft by receiving and Thompson with theft by taking related to the stolen car.
The GBI will conduct an independent investigation. Once completed, it will turn over its findings to the Chattahoochee Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office for review.
The incident is the 22nd officer-involved shooting the GBI has been asked to investigate this year.
Countryman said the “manhunt for any and all individuals that are determined to have been involved in this heinous act against our sergeant will continue until every last one of them is captured and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Regardless of where you run or hide, we will hunt you down and bring you to justice.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact the GBI regional field office at 706-565-7888. Tips can also be submitted by calling 1-800-597-TIPS (8477), online at gbi.georgia.gov/submit-tips-online, or by downloading the See Something, Send Something mobile app.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution also tracks officer-involved shootings that don’t involve the GBI, and those numbers sometimes differ from the GBI’s tally.
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