GBI: Man fires on deputies after shooting at his parents during dispute

A man was arrested after exchanging gunfire with deputies at a home in Taliaferro County early Thursday, the GBI said.

A man was arrested after exchanging gunfire with deputies at a home in Taliaferro County early Thursday, the GBI said.

A Middle Georgia man got into a shootout with deputies outside his family’s home early Thursday after firing shots during a domestic dispute with his parents, authorities said.

Kendarius Ruff, 27, is accused of walking out of the front door of the Crawfordville residence and shooting at the deputies, who had responded for a medical assistance call following the incident with his parents, according to the GBI.

“A Taliaferro County deputy returned fire, hitting the home several times,” the GBI said in a news release. No one was injured in the exchange of gunfire, according to the agency.

Ruff ran away from the home but was eventually apprehended by deputies. He was taken to a hospital for evaluation and later released into the custody of the Taliaferro sheriff’s office.

According to the GBI, Ruff had fired several shots inside the home on Richards Lane during the “disturbance” with his mother and father, but they were not injured. When deputies responded around 2 a.m., no one answered the door. Soon after, Ruff went outside and opened fire, the GBI said. The parents were able to get out of the house before Ruff and the deputies started shooting, according to the agency.

Ruff was taken to the Wilkes County Jail on two counts of aggravated assault on a peace officer, two counts of aggravated assault, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime. He is being held without bond.

The GBI said it is conducting an investigation into the officer use-of-force incident and the assault on the responding deputies. It’s the 30th officer-involved shooting the state agency has been asked to probe this year.