ROCKDALE COUNTY, Ga. — Editor's note: The video in this story is from a previous report.
The Rockdale County Sheriff's Office released new details Monday about what led up to a chase involving a wanted aggravated assault suspect and deputies that ended on I-20 last week.
But before that even happened Thursday, there was a previous encounter the 19-year-old had with law enforcement just days before. Last Tuesday, deputies with the Rockdale County Sheriff's Office H.E.A.T. Unit conducted a traffic stop on a 19-year-old for violating Georgia's Hands-Free law in the area of Salem Road, they said.
Authorities said the teen sped off from deputies at a high speed. After deputies contacted his family, he returned home and that's when they said he provided a false name and date of birth.
The driver sped off again and drove into a neighbor's yard – almost hitting them, according to deputies. Moments later, they said the driver was spotted on McCalla Road by another deputy, who was patrolling the area. When he spotted the deputy, the sheriff's office said he jumped into the same lane and sped toward the deputy.
"This prompted the deputy to drive into a ditch to avoid a head-on collision," the sheriff's office said in a release.
The teen behind the wheel continued driving in the wrong lane and the sheriff's office said he passed a school bus full of students in a no-passing zone.
Then, on Thursday at 9:30 a.m., Rockdale County deputies said they saw the teen driving in the same car from the previous incident near Smyrna Road. They attempted another traffic stop and he sped off again, which resulted in a 10-mile chase with deputies.
During the pursuit, the sheriff's office said the driver hit two vehicles. The chase ended on I-20 near Wesley Chapel Road with tires on the suspect's car deflated and separated from the rim.
When this happened, authorities said the teen ran away – armed with a handgun. Deputies chased the teen, crossing over I-20 and into the woods.
They said deputies gave him verbal commands to stop as they tried to take him into custody. However, he allegedly reached for a gun and he was shot by a deputy, according to the sheriff's office. He was taken into custody and to a local hospital for medical treatment.
Once the teen was released from the hospital, the sheriff's office said he was taken to jail.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has been requested to conduct an independent investigation of the shooting. The sheriff's office said during the GBI's investigation, a handgun was recovered in the area where the suspect was taken into custody.
The sheriff's office said more information will be available once the GBI finishes its investigation.
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