Columbus car chase, gunfight wounds sheriff’s deputy and suspect, sheriff says
A shooting Saturday that followed a Columbus police car chase wounded a sheriff’s sergeant and one suspect, the sheriff’s office said.
In the wake of the violence, Columbus Mayor Skip Henderson has called a news conference at 2 p.m. Sunday to “discuss recent events and to provide a law enforcement update.”
Both Sheriff Greg Countryman and Columbus Police Chief Freddie Blackmon will be there, the mayor said in a statement late Saturday.
According to the sheriff’s office, Columbus police around 3:30 p.m. Saturday chased a car that had been reported stolen, but officers ended the pursuit. Later, the same vehicle hit a sheriff’s car at Andrews Road and East Central Street, the sheriff said in a news release.
As the four people inside exited the vehicle, shots were fired at the sergeant, who shot back, the sheriff said. Columbus police caught three of the suspects; one escaped, the sheriff said.
Both the sergeant and the suspect were treated at the hospital, and neither seriously was wounded, the sheriff’s news release said.
In a news release Sunday, Columbus police reported that the 911 center got tips about a stolen car traveling through downtown and south Columbus, but officers searching for it could not find the vehicle.
Then they were called to the shooting at Andrews Road, the release said: “Learning that a Muscogee County Sheriff’s deputy had been shot ... officers flooded the area to assist deputies. Our officers were able to capture two of the suspects who fled from the stolen vehicle that was involved in the shooting. We also recovered a firearm.”
Anyone with more information on the case may call police anonymously at 706-653-3188.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation will be asked to review the shooting.
This story was originally published March 5, 2022 at 10:55 PM.