Chattanooga Times Free Press

GBI investigat­ing officer-involved shooting

- BY TYLER JETT STAFF WRITER

The Georgia Bureau of Investigat­ion was looking into an incident Friday morning in which a Varnell, Ga., police officer fired a shot that wounded a motorist, according to Varnell Police Chief Lyle Grant.

The wound was not life-threatenin­g, and the officer was not hurt, Grant said.

Aaron Patrick Brumlow led Officer Scott Swilley on a high-speed chase around 5 a.m. Friday after Swilley responded to a report of a shopliftin­g at the Circle K convenienc­e store on Prater Mill Road NE, according to a release from Grant.

Including Brumlow, Grant said, there were four people inside a Toyota Camry. The chase veered from Varnell to Cohutta, with both cars reaching about 120 mph. After weaving through several roads, Brumlow drove into the Stonegate subdivisio­n in Cohutta. There, in an undevelope­d part of the neighborho­od, he reached a dead end.

Grant said Brumlow slowed down. Swilley tried to block him in. But Brumlow then drove toward him, hitting the police car head-on. Swilley got out of his car, Grant said, and drew his Glock. He told Swilley to stop several times.

Grant said Brumlow turned “his vehicle into a weapon” and drove toward the officer, missing him by inches. He said Swilley fired a shot, hitting Brumlow in the hand. He said Brumlow drove away.

The Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office then spotted the Camry and began to chase. Tunnel Hill police, Varnell police, the Catoosa County Sheriff’s Office and the Georgia State Patrol joined in. They ended the pursuit by hitting his car with a patrol car, forcing him to turn sideways and stop.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigat­ion is looking into Swilley’s actions in the case. Grant said the officer is on administra­tive leave pending investigat­ion.

Grant also said Brumlow is facing charges, though the department still had not determined what specific crimes they want to pursue.

On Sept. 14, Brumlow pleaded guilty in Hamilton County Criminal Court to charges of aggravated assault and driving on a revoked license.

Grant said at least one other person in the car with Brumlow will face charges. He said Brumlow was not the one who shoplifted from the convenienc­e store, kicking off the chase; somebody else in the car was. Officers have not determined the specific culprit, but the convenienc­e store has a surveillan­ce video.

“There’s a lot of different investigat­ions,” Grant said. “I still haven’t got that informatio­n yet.”

Brumlow was transporte­d to Erlanger hospital for treatment.

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