Traffic stop leads to Winterville police shooting, crash
CLARKE COUNTY, Ga. - A traffic stop turned into a police shooting and high-speed chase Sunday morning when an Athens man wanted on warrants sped away from officers before wrecking in Hull, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
What we know:
An Athens-Clarke County Police Department officer stopped a black SUV around 10:30 a.m. in the 100 block of Oakmont Court to arrest 33-year-old Derrell Dukes of Athens on several outstanding warrants.
A Winterville Police Department officer arrived seconds later to assist.
Passenger Peyton Ragland, 28, of Summerville immediately stepped out of the rear seat as officers told Dukes to step out of the vehicle, the GBI said.
Dukes opened his door, quickly slammed it shut and sped away with another woman still sitting in the front passenger seat.
An officer fired a single shot toward the moving SUV as Dukes accelerated away.
Dukes led officers on a pursuit into Madison County before crashing the SUV in the 3000 block of Spratlin Mill Road.
The gunfire injured no one, but Dukes and the female passenger suffered minor injuries from the collision.
Paramedics took both to a nearby hospital for treatment, where staff treated and released them.
Clarke County Jail deputies booked Dukes and Ragland on their prior outstanding arrest warrants.
State authorities confirmed those warrants are completely separate from Sunday's pursuit and shooting.
What we don't know:
Investigators have not disclosed which agency employed the officer who discharged the weapon.
Authorities have also not released the identity of the woman who stayed inside the SUV during the pursuit.
What's next:
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is leading an independent probe into the shooting at the request of the Winterville Police Department.
GBI officials ask anyone with relevant information to contact the Regional Investigative Office in Athens at 706-542-7901.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from a press release issued by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, which outlined the initial timeline of the shooting and vehicle crash.