Three days after he allegedly shot and critically injured an acquaintance in a Gwinnett County model home and "refused to … give any statement," Clayton County Sheriff Victor Hill addressed the shooting for the first time.
"As reported, on May 3, 2015, I was involved in a tragic and heartbreaking accident," Hill said in a statement just before 12:40 p.m Tuesday. "Gwenevere McCord, who is very dear to me, was critically injured in this accident. Please understand that for the past 48 hours, I have been entirely focused on Gwenevere and her family. I will continue to pray unceasingly for her recovery. I ask you all to please pray for Gwenevere and her family throughout this most difficult time."
McCord and Hill were the only people inside the home on Britt Trail Drive when the shooting happened, Gwinnett police said. Hill called 911 at 5:39 p.m. Sunday to report the shooting, but when officers arrived at the scene, police said Hill “refused to cooperate and give any statement” and was allowed to leave the scene on his own. He turned over his clothing and guns.
“I asked the police department not to take him into custody at that point, to make sure we didn’t mess it up at the beginning,” Gwinnett District Attorney Danny Porter told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “He had already asserted the right to remain silent.”
Until Tuesday afternoon, no one had seen or heard from Hill. Channel 2 Action News reported that Hill did not show up for work Monday. And Porter told The AJC that an email sent to Hill's lawyer Monday requesting a statement was ignored.
Under Georgia law, “a sitting sheriff cannot be charged except by a warrant issued by a Superior Court judge,” Porter said Monday in an interview with AM750 and 95.5 FM News/Talk WSB, a news partner of The AJC. He said no judge was available Sunday night.
“You have to have the warrant issued before the sheriff can be arrested,” Porter said. “What I’m trying to figure out is, does that apply to a sheriff all the time, or only in the performance of his official duty.”
Once police determine how the shooting took place, “then we’ll make a decision on what, if any, appropriate charges there are,” Porter told WSB.
Asked how long that might take, Porter said, “police should have their investigation wrapped up fairly quickly, and then we’ll have a decision in the next few days.”
Gov. Nathan Deal said Monday that it was too early for him to comment on whether he will take action against Hill.
“I only know what I’ve read in the newspaper and heard on the radio,” Deal said. “It’s very premature. I do not have the ability to remove anybody — sheriff or otherwise — at least until he’s indicted. He has not been indicted, and whether or not he will be is a question that remains to be seen. If and when that happens, we’ll follow the course and the process that the law allows.”
The shooting comes less than three weeks after the former Peachtree City police chief was indicted for allegedly shooting his former wife on New Year’s Day. On April 15, a Fayette County grand jury indicted William McCollom on a reckless conduct charge for the shooting, which paralyzed Maggie McCollom.
Hill, 50, is in his second term as sheriff and began his current term Jan. 1, 2013. He was also sheriff from January 2005 through 2008. Both of terms in office have included controversy.
In 2013, Hill was acquitted of racketeering charges related to his use of a county-issued credit card.
During the final week of his first term, Hill filed for bankruptcy, due partly to the amount of money he owed in damages for lawsuits against him. On his first day in office in 2005, Hill fired 27 deputies, who later sued for wrongful termination. They won their jobs back and settled for $7 million, which was paid by Clayton County.
McCord, the 43-year-old Paran Realty real estate agent Hill allegedly shot in the abdomen, is at Gwinnett Medical Center in critical condition. In an exclusive interview with The AJC, McCord's father Tuesday said the shooting was an accident and he has no animosity toward Hill. Ernest McCord said Hill called the family Sunday after the shooting.
“He’s all torn up about this,” McCord said.
“They’re good friends. He’s always been a perfect gentleman with us. He’s always shown concern for us and for her.”
— Staff writers Mike Morris, Greg Bluestein, Tammy Joyner, Arielle Kass and Christian Boone contributed to this article.
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