Athens traffic stop leads to police shooting, chase, and crash in Hull

A traffic stop in Athens on Sunday morning escalated into a police shooting and a high-speed chase that ended in a crash in Hull, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI). An Athens-Clarke County Police officer stopped a black SUV around 10:30 a.m. in the 100 block of Oakmont Court to arrest a man wanted on several outstanding warrants.

A Winterville Police Department officer arrived to assist, and a passenger exited the vehicle as officers instructed the driver to step out. Instead, the driver quickly shut the door and sped away with another woman still inside the SUV. An officer fired one shot toward the moving vehicle during the pursuit, but no one was hit.

The chase continued into Madison County, culminating in a crash in the 3000 block of Spratlin Mill Road. Both the driver and the female passenger sustained minor injuries from the collision and were treated and released from a nearby hospital.

The driver and the passenger were booked on their prior outstanding warrants, which are unrelated to the events of the chase and shooting. The GBI is conducting an independent investigation into the shooting at the request of the Winterville Police Department and has asked anyone with information to contact their regional office in Athens.