The GBI continues to investigate after a Hall County deputy shot a motorcyclist at the end of a pursuit and crash Saturday night, according to authorities.
A deputy tried to stop a man riding a motorcycle near McEver Road around 9:30 p.m. for speeding, the sheriff’s office said in a news release. The motorcyclist, later identified as 37-year-old Marshall Anthony Hooper of Buford, did not stop and a short pursuit ensued, the GBI said in a news release.
The motorcycle eventually crashed, and deputies began giving Hooper commands in an attempt to detain him.
“The suspect made several furtive actions during the encounter,” Hall County Sheriff Gerald Couch said in a statement Friday, nearly a week after the incident. “He first appeared to be manipulating something near his waistband while kneeling by his motorcycle. He then turned his back on the deputy and began walking away from an area lit by the vehicle’s headlights toward a dark, unlit area.”
Couch said Hooper refused to comply with the deputy’s repeated commands to show him his hands and at one point abruptly turned to face the deputy while rapidly extending his arms.
“The suspect appeared to have a black object in his hand as he did so,” Couch said.
The deputy fired one round, striking the suspect in the chin, Couch said.
The sheriff said investigators determined the object that appeared to be in the suspect’s hand was a black motorcycle glove he was wearing. No weapon was located, according to authorities.
Hooper was taken to Northeast Georgia Medical Center with injuries that were not life-threatening, the release states. The sheriff’s office did not release his charges.
No deputies were injured.
“Traffic stops are one of the most dangerous aspects of law enforcement,” Couch said in the statement. ”This is especially true when the traffic stop occurs at night and the suspect attempts to flee, fails to follow lawful commands, and makes an abrupt motion toward the deputy. In this incident, the deputy reasonably believed the suspect was armed and had the intent of firing a weapon.”
The deputy was placed on administrative leave with pay, per department policy, according to the sheriff’s office.
The GBI will conduct an independent investigation. Once completed, it will turn over its findings to the Hall County District Attorney’s Office for review.
Saturday’s incident was the 84th officer-involved shooting the GBI has been asked to investigate this year. There had been 68 by the same time last year.
About the Author
