Two suspects, who are both fugitives from Tennessee, are in custody after a police standoff at a northwest Georgia motel, officials confirmed Tuesday.
The three-hour ordeal began about 2:15 p.m. when deputies were tipped off that potential fugitives were at the Express Inn off Ga. 225, the Gordon County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.
Schalles Williams, 55, of Signal Mountain, Tennessee, and Wesley Swartout, 52, of Calhoun, were spotted at the scene. The duo had active warrants in two Tennessee counties for forgery, the release said.
Williams was arrested outside of the motel room on unrelated charges, but Swartout pulled out a gun and pointed it at deputies, the release said. That prompted a deputy to fire a shot at Swartout, which missed.
Since no one was hit, the GBI was not called to investigate the incident as an officer-involved shooting.
Swartout ran into a motel room and barricaded himself inside, the release said. The Georgia State Patrol SWAT team arrived at the scene after Swartout refused to come out of the room.
Authorities eventually obtained a search warrant, allowing them to break down the door, deploy tear gas and arrest Swartout, the release said. No officers were injured.
Credit: Gordon County Sheriff's Office
Credit: Gordon County Sheriff's Office
Investigators seized several items from the motel, including a loaded handgun, ammunition, drug-related items, fake identification documents, fake license plates, several electronic devices and counterfeit money, the release said. A camper, two motorcycles and a car were impounded.
Swartout, who was out on bond from a January arrest in Tennessee, faces additional charges of aggravated assault on a peace officer along with several firearm-related and fraud-related offenses in Georgia, the release said.
The two suspects were taken to the Gordon County Jail, where they remain. Both are expected to be extradited to Tennessee.
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