Teen, Lowndes deputy exchange gunfire during chase

Published 1:31 pm Tuesday, October 24, 2023

VALDOSTA — A 17-year-old and two juveniles were arrested Monday after a high-speed chase in which a suspect shot at a deputy, according to reports.

Around 8 p.m., Lowndes County deputies working the 229 Car and Bike Show on Val Tech Road were told by a security guard that a teenager tried to enter the concert with a firearm, a Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office statement said.

Deputies later saw the teen driving slowly near the front gate to the concert venue; when they tried to stop the driver, he fled in the car, the statement said.

The pursuit headed north on I-75 at more than 115 mph with the driver passing vehicles on the shoulder until reaching Hahira; the car went through downtown Hahira at speeds nearing 100 mph, a Georgia State Patrol statement said.

Troopers performed a PIT maneuver, forcing the fleeing car to spin out to a stop. Two occupants of the car jumped out and ran; the remaining suspect in the car was taken by deputies without incident, the GSP statement said.

The driver — one of those who ran — was also taken into custody without incident, but a passenger ran into the woods, the state patrol said. He fired a gun at a deputy, and the deputy fired back, but neither was harmed, the sheriff’s office statement said. A K9 unit captured the suspect. The car involved in the chase had been reported stolen, the statement said.

The alleged driver — a 17-year-old male — was charged with felony fleeing and attempting to elude LCSO officers and felony theft by receiving stolen property-motor vehicle, as well as various traffic charges, the sheriff’s office statement said.

One minor, age 15, was charged with felony aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, felony possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, felony theft by receiving stolen property-motor vehicle, misdemeanor obstruction of a law enforcement officer and possession of a firearm by a person under 18 years of age, the sheriff’s office said.

The second minor, also age 15, was charged with felony theft by receiving stolen property-motor vehicle and misdemeanor obstruction of a law enforcement officer, the statement said.

Anyone with information about this incident should contact the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office at 229-671-2900.