The Standard Journal

Aragon man shot while driving at GSP trooper

Shannon Thompson, 27, was taken to Floyd Medical Center in Rome with non-life threatenin­g injuries.

- From staff reports

A 27-year-old Aragon man was shot in the arm by a state trooper while reportedly driving his vehicle at the officer.

The Georgia State Patrol has asked the GBI to conduct an investigat­ion into the incident that happened Friday in Taylorsvil­le.

According to a Georgia Bureau of Investigat­ion release:

An Aragon Police Department officer attempted to conduct a traffic stop at around 11 a.m. on a vehicle driven by Shannon Thompson, 27, of Aragon.

Thompson refused to stop and a chase ensured. The Aragon officer requested GSP assistance in the pursuit that led from Polk County into Bartow County.

A GSP trooper executed a PIT maneuver on Thompson’s vehicle, causing the vehicle to veer off the road and into a field off of Main Street in Taylorsvil­le.

PIT stands for precision immobiliza­tion technique. It involves law enforcemen­t hitting a fleeing car, causing it to spin

out of control.

Thompson then drove out of the field towards the trooper, who was standing in the roadway. The trooper fired several shots at the vehicle and at least one hit Thompson in the arm.

Thompson continued to drive away, pursued by officers with the Polk County Police Department, Aragon PD and GSP.

The trooper tried a second PIT maneuver. Thompson rammed the trooper’s car, but lost control of his vehicle and crashed into a ditch. Thompson then jumped out of the vehicle and ran into a nearby wooded area.

The law enforcemen­t officers followed, and a trooper deployed his Taser at Thompson and arrested him.

The officers and troopers provided medical attention to Thompson after finding the injury to his arm. He was taken to Floyd Medical Center for treatment.

The GBI will conduct an independen­t investigat­ion and, upon completion, the case file will be provided to the Bartow County District Attorney’s office for review.

This is the 53rd officer-involved shooting the GBI has been asked to investigat­e this year.

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