Man shot after crashing into NE Georgia business, fighting with officer, GBI says

A northeast Georgia man is accused of crashing his SUV into a business and then fighting with an officer, who then shot him, the GBI said Monday.

A 911 caller reported that someone drove into a business on Irvin Street in Cornelia at 5:50 p.m. Sunday, according to investigators. The Cornelia police and fire department sent responders to the scene.

Christian Drake Shurtleff, 33, of Mt. Airy, crashed with his 7-year-old daughter in the car, investigators said. The child was removed from the SUV without injury.

“Shurtleff was immediately uncooperative and combative,” the GBI said. “He began to fight with the officer, and during the fight, the officer shot Shurtleff. Shurtleff was taken to the hospital, where he was treated for his injuries.”

The GBI charged Shurtleff with felony obstruction. The Georgia State Patrol is investigating the crash.

The incident was the 77th officer-involved shooting the GBI has been asked to investigate this year. As of the same time last year, there had been 87 such cases.

The GBI will conduct an independent investigation and will give the case file to the Mountain Judicial Circuit district attorney for review when it is completed.

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