Chattooga County Sheriff Mark Schrader said that the suspect in Tuesday's police shooting charged at an officer after a fight that lasted several minutes.
According to a release, sheriff's office and Summerville police investigators were at a home Tuesday, interviewing Devon DeShawn Ward, a suspect in a robbery the night before. During the interview, Ward allegedly tried to run away and hit a Summerville police officer.
Investigators lost sight of him briefly. But, according to the release, Agent Caine Railey spotted Ward and chased him down. Railey is a member of the sheriff's office, assigned to the Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit Drug Task Force.
Railey and Ward fought for several minutes, Schrader said. Finally, the two separated. Railey allegedly then drew his gun and ordered Ward to the ground. Instead, according to the sheriff, Ward charged at Railey. When he made contact, Railey shot him in the stomach.
Officers applied pressure to the wound and tried to keep Ward conscious as EMTs arrived, according to the release. He is in "critical but improving condition."
"Please continue to pray for Agent Railey, his family, Devon Ward and his family, as well as everyone involved in this terrible, but preventable, accident," Schrader said in the release.