Former Peachtree City Police Chief William McCollom pleaded guilty Thursday to a misdemeanor charge in the New Year’s Day shooting that left his former wife paralyzed.
McCollom, who was charged with reckless conduct for shooting Margaret McCollom in their bed early Jan. 1, was sentenced to 12 months of unsupervised probation and was ordered to pay a $1,000 fine in Fayette County court.
McCollom, who resigned his post in March, said the shooting was an accident.
McCollom had told police he went to bed at about 9:30 p.m. on New Year’s Eve after drinking alcohol and taking sleeping medication. During the night, he said, he was awakened by barking dogs, got out of bed, took his service weapon from its holster on a dresser and checked the house.
He went back to bed after finding nothing and placed the gun under the sheets next to his body and his wife’s, according to a statement released by the district attorney. He then was awakened by a gunshot.
William and Margaret McCollom were married 11 years until they divorced in 1999. He was married to another woman for 10 years, divorcing her after he moved from Florida to Peachtree City in 2012 to be the assistant police chief.
Some early reports had indicated William and Margaret McCollom remarried in early 2014. But a March 5 statement from the office of Griffin Judicial Circuit District Attorney Scott Ballard referred to William McCollom as the “former husband” of Margaret McCollom.
On July 2, Peachtree City named a replacement for McCollom - Janet Moon became the first female police chief for Peachtree City. Moon is a 30-year law enforcement veteran and the former deputy chief in Suwanee.
About the Author
