GBI: Manhunt underway after deputy is shot in Towns County

Authorities are looking for a white male suspect after a Towns County Sheriff’s Office deputy was shot during a traffic stop Friday, Dec. 13.

Just after 2:00 a.m., according to the GBI, a Towns County deputy stopped a vehicle without a tag on Plott Town Road in Young Harris.

The driver of the car stopped, according to police, but immediately exited the vehicle and walked toward the deputy. After an unsuccessful attempt by the deputy to tase the suspect, there was a struggle between deputy and the man over the deputy’s firearm before the deputy was shot.

Police say the suspect then fled in his vehicle but left the deputy’s firearm at the scene. The deputy was taken to a metro hospital to be treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

Authorities are now looking for the suspect, who has not been identified. He is described as a white man standing at about 6-feet tall and weighs between 170-180 pounds. He was driving a 2010 or similar model silver Honda four-door sedan. The suspect wore a black beanie, gray hoodie and black athletic pants, according to GBI.

The investigation is active and ongoing. The GBI and the Towns County Sheriff’s Office are asking for the public’s help in identifying the man who shot the deputy in this incident. Anyone with information is asked to call Towns County 911 or the GBI Tipline at 800-597-TIPS (8477). Tips can also be submitted online.