CARROLL COUNTY, Ga. — Some Carroll County residents were urged to stay indoors after the sheriff's office said there was a shooter in the woods near one of the communities.
It was a close call for Carroll County deputies on Thursday afternoon after a suspect opened fire on several of them in the Whitesburg community.
Carroll County Sheriff’s Office Communications Director Ashley Husley said a deputy initiated a traffic stop on a truck whose tag came back stolen. She said the driver refused to stop, and the deputy initiated a pursuit.
It ended in the area of Old Jones Road and Acorn Creek Road.
“The driver bailed out of the truck,” Hulsey said.
She said the suspect was armed with a shotgun.
“As they (deputies) were pulling up, he began firing up on them,” Hulsey explained.
She said the window of one patrol car was shattered, and two other patrol cars were hit in the shooting, but fortunately, none of the deputies were hurt.
The suspect took off into a wooded area, prompting a manhunt. The area was put on lockdown, and several agencies raced to the scene to assist in providing a perimeter.
The manhunt lasted for a couple of hours until a homeowner told the sheriff’s office that the suspect had just entered their home along Little New York Trail.
Deputies and officers converged on the home along with SWAT, where they found the suspect passed out.
Hulsey said they believe the suspect ingested some drug at some point during the pursuit and/or manhunt.
The sheriff’s office called for an ambulance, and the suspect was taken to a local hospital.
Hulsey identified the suspect as Brenton Morrison. She said he was wanted out of Randolph County in Alabama.
The Randolph County Sheriff’s Office posted a wanted flyer featuring Morrison on July 1, 2024. His charges included:
- Attempted Assault 1st Degree x3
- Reckless Endangerment x3
- Menacing x3
- Receiving Stolen Property 1st Degree x2
- Criminal Trespassing 2nd Degree x2
- Criminal Mischief 2nd Degree
- Theft of Property 1st Degree
“Anybody that is bold enough to fire at a citizen, which I believe is what he did in Randolph County, then bold enough to fire at our deputies today, is someone who needs to be removed from the streets permanently,” Hulsey explained.
She said Morrison had been staying with someone in the area where he was captured. Hulsey said deputies found several stolen items believed to have been taken during a recent string of thefts on farms across the county this week.
Morrison is expected to face a slew of charges from those thefts and today’s pursuit, shooting and manhunt before being sent back to Randolph County in Alabama to face his charges in that jurisdiction.
“Thank God we can report everybody is safe,” Hulsey said.
The department is still reeling from Tuesday morning’s shooting, where Investigator Taylor Bristow was shot in the face while helping the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) serve a search warrant at a home just south of Carrollton.
Investigator Bristow remains in a medically induced coma in the ICU. 11Alive asked for an update on Thursday evening, but the sheriff’s office couldn’t provide any details on his condition.
As they mentioned earlier in the week, they’re continuing to pray and hope for a miracle. They ask everyone to continue to pray for Investigator Bristow and his family.
This is a developing story. Check back often for new information.
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