Georgia sheriff: 3 officers wounded, 1 suspect dead, 1 held

Three officers were shot in a police chase that ended early Monday with one suspect killed and another in custody, authorities said.

A Georgia State Patrol trooper clocked a car going 111 mph (179 kph) on Interstate 20 and initiated a traffic stop around 3:30 a.m., Georgia State Patrol Capt. Brandon Dawson said. The driver stopped initially and then took off again with the trooper in pursuit. The trooper bumped the car to try to stop it but the driver of the car regained control, Dawson said.

The trooper continued pursuing the vehicle until a passenger used a rifle to fire at the patrol car and hit it, taking it out of action.

Police officers from Carrollton then joined the chase. At some point, a passenger leaned out and fired a shot into a police vehicle, hitting an officer, Carrollton Police Chief Joel Richards said. The officer lost control of his vehicle and hit a utility pole. Other officers stopped to help him.

The suspect continued on and Villa Rica police officers pursued the car down a side road, Villa Rica Police Chief Michael Mansour said. Shots were fired at the officers and one officer was hit twice, he said.

A Carroll County sheriff’s deputy was also shot in the arm, Sheriff Terry Langley said.

One suspect was killed and the other was taken into custody "after a negotiation" and was being held in the Carroll County jail, Langley said.

"It could have been a lot worse, and we’re thankful and we pray for the speedy recovery of those officers," Langley said.

The law enforcement agencies involved asked the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to take over.