All four suspects wanted in connection with the shooting death of Hall County Sheriff’s Deputy Nicolas Dixon are now in custody.
The arrests followed an intense manhunt involving the sheriff’s office and multiple law enforcement agencies.
The final two suspects, 17-year-old London Clements and 17-year-old Eric Edgardo Velazquez were both arrested Monday afternoon. Velazquez was arrested at a residence off of U.S. 129/Cleveland Highway in north Hall County. Clements was apprehended at his residence on Cresthill Drive in Flowery Branch.
The alleged shooter and another suspect were arrested earlier.
17-year-old Hector Garcia–Solis, was taken into custody after he was shot and wounded during the exchange of gunfire that killed Officer Dixon Sunday night.
Several hours after the initial incident in the area of Highland Avenue, a second suspect was tracked by K9 to a residence in the area. 17-year-old Brayan Omar Cruz was taken into custody after he was found hiding under the house.
All of the suspects are from Hall County. Garcia-Solis is charged with felony murder. Cruz, Clements, and Valazquez are charged with felony murder as parties to the crime.
Sheriff: Suspect opened fire on officers
During a news conference in Gainesville Monday morning, Hall County Sheriff Gerald Couch outlined details of the deadly encounter.
Couch said the suspects were riding in a stolen vehicle that was believed to be connected to a series of property crimes. One of those crimes involved the theft of a large number of firearms. Couch said deputies attempted to stop the vehicle but the suspects fled. After a brief pursuit, the vehicle crashed and the suspects then ran away on foot.
“Deputy Dixon pursued and located one of the suspects behind a residence,” said Couch. “After refusing to follow Deputy Dixon’s verbal commands to show his hands, the offender disappeared briefly back behind the residence and then suddenly reappeared and opened fire.”
A bullet struck Deputy Dixon below his ballistic vest as he returned fire. Other deputies also returned fire and struck the offender, later identified as Garcia-Solis, multiple times according to the GBI.
Couch said officers immediately administered first aid to Officer Dixon in an effort to save his life. They transported him to Northeast Georgia Medical Center in a patrol car. Couch says they got him to the hospital within minutes but Dixon was bleeding heavily and doctors were unable to save him.
“We will make sure we take care of his family as he’s taken care of all of ours.”
Garcia-Solis was also transported to Northeast Georgia Medical Center for treatment. Monday the GBI said he was listed in critical condition. Hall County Sheriff’s spokesman Derreck Booth said his injuries do not appear to be life-threatening
Asked by reporters if the incident was gang-related, Sheriff Couch replied, “They were a gang of thieves and certainly complicit in murdering one of our deputies.”
A second deputy involved in the shooting has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation which is standard procedure. The sheriff’s office has offered counseling services to all of the officers who were involved in the incident.
The GBI is investigating the shooting which is also standard procedure when officers are involved.
A husband, a father, and a son
The 28-year-old Dixon had been with the Hall County Sheriff’s Office for three years. He worked as a jailer before graduating from the police academy and transferring to the Patrol Division last October.
“He was a husband, a father, and a son, and a beloved member of our sheriff’s office,” Sheriff Couch said. He described Dixon as “the type of individual who always ran towards the danger and wanted to make things better.”
Deputy Dixon was married and the father to nine-year-old and four-month-old sons. “He was such a young man with such a young family. We will make sure we take care of his family as he’s taken care of all of ours,” the Sheriff said.
In a moving tribute, the GBI posted a video of employees lined up outside of its headquarters to view the police escort for the fallen officer. The post says, “We pay tribute to Deputy Dixon for dedicating his life to service.” It was among hundreds of online tributes posted in honor of the young officer.
“Members of the Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the numerous local, state and federal agencies for their ongoing support and assistance during this difficult day,” Booth said. “We offer our sincere gratitude to the community as a whole for its outpouring of support.”
The Hall County Sheriff’s Office is working to establish an official memorial fund in support of Dixon’s family. Details will be released as the fund is finalized.
Dixon is the second officer in Georgia killed by gunfire in the line of duty this year. This is the 42nd officer-involved shooting that the GBI has been asked to investigate in 2019.
Watch WSB-TV’s live-stream of Sheriff Couch’s news conference
Correction: The suspected shooter’s name has been updated to reflect the latest information from the GBI. Authorities had previously identified him as Hector Garcia.
