One sheriff’s deputy was killed and a second wounded in a shooting during a traffic stop near Augusta, Georgia, on Saturday night, authorities said.
The Columbia County Sheriff’s Office confirmed to CBS News that the deadly shooting occurred on Interstate 20 just outside Augusta. The suspect, identified as James Blake Montgomery, was at large.
The names of the deputies were not immediately released. The wounded deputy was hospitalized in critical condition, the sheriff’s office said.
The circumstances that led up to the shooting were still unclear.
The suspect was in a camper near Mile Marker 194 off Belair Road, Columbia County deputies told CBS affiliate WRDW-TV.
Helicopters and drones were in the air as authorities work to capture Montgomery, the deputies said.
Officers were heard on police radio saying to take a photo of the suspect “in the trailer,” WDRW reported. The focus was the Arrowood Mobile Home Community off Wrightsboro Road about three blocks west of Jimmie Dyess Parkway, the TV station said.
In a statement posted to social media, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp wrote that he and his family were “praying for the loved ones and colleagues of the Columbia County sheriffs deputy that has fallen in the line of duty, as well as his fellow law enforcement officer injured tonight while protecting his fellow Georgians. As they remain in our hearts and prayers, we’re also painfully reminded of why those who wear a badge have more than earned our enduring respect and appreciation.”
