DeKalb County Sheriff Jimmy Harris reported: On Friday, October 19, the Henagar Police Department received a call of a person possibly under the influence of drugs or alcohol on County Road 85. A Henagar Officer located the vehicle and proceeded to follow it because the driver was all over the road. When the officer attempted to stop the vehicle, with his blue lights engaged, the vehicle pulled over, but as the officer approached the vehicle the suspect took off again. The officer returned to his car to pursue the vehicle again. As the suspect turned right onto County Road 131 the vehicle was from ditch to ditch. By this time a DeKalb County Deputy had fellen in behind the Henagar Officer. The suspect would not stop. So the Henagar Office attempted the pit maneuver, trying to disable the vehicle. The suspect’s vehicle did not spin a full 180 degrees as the pit maneuver is designed to do. But after the execution of the pit maneuver the suspect’s vehicle was sideways in the road. As the suspect exited the vehicle and the Henagar Officer and DeKalb County Deputy exited their vehicles the suspect began firing a gun, striking the Henagar Officer’s vehicle in the driver’s door 4 to 5 times. Both law enforcement officers began returning fire, striking the suspect in the arms. After the altercation ended the suspect was taken to Erlanger Hospital for treatment.
Sheriff Harris stated, “I called the SBI (State Bureau of Investigation) to do an investigation. We sent our Deputy home with pay pending the results of the investigation. This is our procedure we use on any officer shooting or internal investigation. On the scene that night Henagar Police Chief, Randall Smith, and I discussed the use of SBI to investigate this case because they were in the County when shots were fired. Both Officers did an outstanding job standing up in the line of fire and returning fire. We are fortunate that neither one of them was injured. This is a good shoot and I am positive the SBI will come back and clear both officers. The suspects name is Jeremy Barnet from Jackson County. Thanks goes to Circuit Clerk Pam Simpson who came out at midnight on Friday night to issue two attempted murder warrants on Barnet.”
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