A man who was critically injured while exchanging gunfire with a Coweta County deputy over the weekend had been arrested just a month ago after getting into a shootout with his father, authorities confirmed Tuesday.

Mario Paul Clarke remains at Grady Memorial Hospital following the incident involving the deputy, which happened Sunday, officials said. His current condition was not released.

Clarke, 26, of LaGrange, was arrested on aggravated assault and firearm possession charges March 19 after trading gunshots with his father in the front yard of their Newnan home, according to the Coweta County Sheriff’s Office.

A security camera captured part of the shootout at the Covey Trail home, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution previously reported.

Credit: Coweta County Sheriff's Office

Mario Paul Clarke, 26, was charged with multiple counts related to an altercation with his father that ended in gunfire but no injuries.

Investigators said an argument broke out when Clarke’s father noticed that the younger man was carrying a gun. When the father told him to hand over the weapon, Clarke refused and instead pulled the gun on his dad, officials said.

Clarke’s father retrieved his own gun from his bedroom and chased his son out of the house. Then, gunshots rang out.

Clarke’s father called 911 and said “his son shot at him multiple times,” authorities said. Responding deputies recovered several shell casings and noted three bullet holes in the front of the house.

“The offender still had the firearm on his person when taken into custody,” according to the sheriff’s office’s news release.

Investigators said Clarke was out on bond at the time of the officer-involved shooting. The most recent incident began near a RaceTrac gas station on Amlajack Boulevard about 1 a.m., the GBI said.

A victim flagged down a Newnan police officer and reported that their car had been stolen. When police started following the stolen car on I-85, Clarke got out of it and ran into a wooded area.

Officers chased Clarke and twice tried to deploy Tasers on him, but they were ineffective both times. Later, Clarke ran past a deputy in a patrol car, and that officer deployed his Taser, the GBI said.

Authorities said Clarke then pointed a handgun and fired at the deputy, striking the vehicle. The deputy returned fire multiple times, hitting Clarke, the GBI said.

It’s not clear if officers knew Clarke was the suspect from the March shooting at the time of the chase or if police were aware he was armed.

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