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Man attacks Ga. deputy with bat, suspect shot

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

AUBURN, Ga. A 50-year-old Auburn man was shot and wounded by a Hall County deputy after an altercation following a traffic stop Monday in south Hall County.

The incident began at 11:35 a.m. when a deputy pulled over a pickup truck on Carter Road, according to Hall County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Maj. Jeff Strickland. When the truck stopped, the driver jumped out and fled, Strickland said in a news release. Within 30 minutes, several deputies and a K9 unit assembled to search the area, he said.

Shortly after noon, a deputy spotted the suspect in Country Side Village Mobile Home Park in Buford. After a brief confrontation, the suspect allegedly picked up an aluminum bat and swung it at the deputy, who tried to defend himself with his baton, authorities said. Unable to stop the attacks, the officer then fired his weapon, Strickland said.

The suspect was transported to the Northeast Georgia Medical Center where he is being treated for his injuries and is expected to survive.

Strickland said the sheriff’s office has requested the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to conduct an independent investigation and the deputy has been placed on administrative leave pending review.

Copyright 2007 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution