ATLANTA -- Clayton County Sheriff Victor Hill will likely not face a felony charge in the shooting of a woman in May. Gwinnett County authorities are expected to announce the conclusion of their investigation Thursday, including the criminal charge Hill will face.
Hill has already been charged with misdemeanor reckless conduct. But Gwinnett County District Attorney Danny Porter has said since May that additional evidence could produce a more serious charge against Hill.
Yet the victim in this case never strayed from the story she told paramedics on the way to a hospital after Sheriff Hill shot her: That the shooting was an accident. As a result, the misdemeanor charge is expected to stick when authorities close their case Thursday. Hill told investigators his service revolver discharged accidentally while he was demonstrating "police tactics" to Gwenevere McCord while the pair were alone inside a model home in a Gwinnett County community the real estate agent was marketing.
Meantime, Hill has apparently resumed his relationship with the victim. Hill described McCord as a friend following the May 3 shooting.
Thursday, he posted a photo on one of his Facebook pages that appears to show him alongside McCord. The caption says "Gwenevere Mccord, 20 year Clayton County resident, realtor, and supporter of the Sheriff stopped by to say hi to the 'Crime fighter' today!"
McCord was hospitalized for weeks following the shooting. Now she appears to be engaging Hill publicly with comments on his posts. One comment attributed to McCord's Facebook account said of Hill: "Such a genuine and loving man!! #BestSheriff#inthecommunity .
11Alive legal analyst Phil Holloway says it all but ensures that Sheriff Hill won't face a felony charge in the shooting.
"Things that she's saying now, out in the public arena, are absolutely fair game for trial. And it probably means that he will not be prosecuted for any type of intentional shooting," Holloway said Wednesday.
We've gotten "no comments" from Gwinnett DA Danny Porter and Victor Hill's attorney, Mike Puglise. Gwenevere McCord has not responded to our requests for comment. And Victor Hill hasn't responded to our questions for the last three years and maintained his silence Wednesday.
