A man is accused of fleeing a traffic stop early Saturday morning and shooting at one of the Georgia State Patrol troopers who was trying to take him into custody, authorities said.
Larry Marquez Bryant, 26, faces several charges, including aggravated assault, in the shooting that happened in Macon about 1:30 a.m., according to the GBI.
Investigators said a trooper saw Bryant driving on Mulberry Street while holding a phone in his hand and tried to pull him over. When the trooper turned on his lights and siren, Bryant hit the gas and sped off in a Honda Civic, the GBI said.
The trooper began chasing the Honda, which was going more than 60 mph, according to the GBI. Other troopers joined in the chase and followed Bryant’s car through Macon.
Bryant crashed the car on Ell Street, officials said. He got out of the wrecked vehicle and tried to run away, prompting a foot chase with the troopers.
One trooper pulled out his Taser and twice tried to stun Bryant, authorities said. A second trooper also deployed his stun gun on Bryant.
The fleeing man was hit once, but was not affected, the GBI said. Instead, Bryant kept running down D Street.
At some point, Bryant pulled out a gun and shot at a GSP cruiser that had a trooper inside, the GBI said. The car was hit five times, but the trooper was not hurt.
Bryant continued to run along D Street for a short time, authorities said, but eventually threw his gun into a trash can and surrendered to troopers. He was taken to the Bibb County Jail, where he remains with no bond.
In addition to aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, he is charged with driving with a suspended license, probation violation, driving while under the influence of alcohol, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, fleeing or attempting to elude and other miscellaneous traffic offenses.
The State Patrol asked the GBI to investigate the incident, authorities confirmed.
While it is not clear if any of the troopers used their firearms during the incident, the investigation is the first officer-involved shooting the GBI has been requested to look into this year. The GBI investigated 96 such shootings in 2020.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution also tracks officer-involved shootings that don’t involve the GBI, and those numbers sometimes differ from the GBI’s tally.
About the Author
