After SWAT negotiations, a Gainesville man was arrested early Wednesday for allegedly shooting at utility workers.
Donald Josh Deal, 62, is in the Hall County Jail on two counts of aggravated assault.
A Jackson EMC electrical crew was working to restore power that had been knocked out by fallen trees when they were fired upon around midnight, the Hall County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release. The workers, who were not injured, fled and called 911. They told authorities that as they were assessing the problem, an armed man came out of his residence and cursed and threatened them before firing at least two shots in their direction.
Authorities went to the scene in the 4200 block of Holland Drive, where deputies ordered Deal to exit his residence to be taken into custody. When he refused, SWAT commanders were called in to negotiate, the sheriff’s office said. Deal left the home around 2 a.m. and was arrested without incident.
Deal’s bond has not yet been set, pending his first court appearance.
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