ATHENS, Ga. (AP) – A former sheriff’s deputy in a northeast Georgia county was charged with aggravated assault after he shot at a car that drove away during a chase.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said it arrested former Oglethorpe County Deputy Michael Norton Davis on Thursday.
Investigators say Davis on Monday afternoon tried to stop a 27-year-old Athens resident, Patrouski Hodges, for speeding. Hodges eventually pulled over after crossing from Oglethorpe into Athens-Clarke County on U.S. 78.
GBI said Davis’ patrol car hit Hodges’ Chevrolet Equinox, and when Davis got out and started giving orders, Hodges drove away. Davis shot three times at Hodges’ car, hitting it twice. Afterward, Davis chased Hodges about 10 miles (16 kilometers) before catching him. No one was injured.
The Athens Banner-Herald reports Davis was fired after the investigation requested by Athens-Clarke police. Davis had worked as an Oglethorpe deputy since 2017, according to the sheriff’s office. GBI Agent Jesse Maddox said Davis’ use of force did not match the crime.