One Deputy Killed, Another Wounded During Traffic Stop Near Augusta, Georgia
A tragic incident unfolded Saturday night near Augusta, Georgia, when a routine traffic stop escalated into a deadly shooting, leaving one Columbia County sheriff’s deputy dead and another critically injured.
According to the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, the shooting occurred on Interstate 20, just outside Augusta. Deputies had initiated a traffic stop when the suspect, identified as James Blake Montgomery, opened fire. One deputy was fatally shot at the scene, while the second deputy sustained critical injuries and was transported to a local hospital.
Following the shooting, Montgomery fled the scene. Authorities located him in a camper near Mile Marker 194 off Belair Road. A standoff ensued at the Arrowood Mobile Home Community off Wrightsboro Road, approximately three blocks west of Jimmie Dyess Parkway. Law enforcement deployed helicopters and drones in the area as they worked to apprehend Montgomery. In a statement on social media, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp expressed his condolences, stating that he and his family are “praying for the loved ones and colleagues of the Columbia County sheriff’s deputy that has fallen in the line of duty, as well as his fellow law enforcement officer injured tonight while protecting his fellow Georgians
The names of the deputies involved have not been released pending notification of their families. The investigation is ongoing, and authorities are urging anyone with information to come forward.
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