Lumpkin County deputy fired on the suspected burglar as she fled from crime scene
The GBI is investigating an officer involved shooting that happened Friday in Lumpkin County. The initial investigation revealed sheriff’s deputies were called to 155 Pecks Mill Creek Road in Dahlonega at 7:19 p.m. in response to a residential alarm. Upon arriving, officials say a deputy found a woman burglarizing the house.
The suspect was later identified as 33-year-old Valery Michelle Barron of Cleveland.
When the officer tried to arrest Barron, officials say she resisted and got into the vehicle she drove to the scene. “While trying to flee the scene, Barron struck the deputy with her vehicle,” the GBI says. The deputy fired on the vehicle during the incident.
Barron got away. She was later arrested at her home in Cleveland by Lumpkin and White County Sheriff’s deputies. The GBI says Barron was not injured in the shooting.
The Lumpkin County Sheriff’s Office asked the GBI to investigate the shooting, which is standard procedure whenever an officer is involved in a shooting.
The GBI says the investigation continues. Once it’s complete, it will be handed over to the Enotah Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office for review.
