Two arrested in Senoia shooting

Thu, 03/05/2009 - 4:19pm
By: The Citizen

Two men are in custody and warrants have been issued for others relating to a Tuesday shooting at a Stallings Road residence in Senoia. Two other men at the residence were hospitalized after sustaining gunfire from police at the scene. Georgia Bureau of Investigation is continuing the investigation of the incident in which three Senoia Police, according to policy, were placed on paid administrative leave.

Arrested Tuesday on charges of felony obstruction of an officer and battery of an officer was Joseph Campbell, according to Senoia Police spokesperson Lt. Steve Tomlin. The arrest of Charles Campbell followed on Wednesday on charges of aggravated assault on a police officer, Tomlin said. Both men were transported to Coweta County Jail. The ages and place of residence of the two men were not immediately available. Tomlin said police have active warrants on others involved in the incident.

The incident began with an attempt to perform a traffic stop of an elderly woman between 9:00-9:30 a.m., said GBI spokesperson John Bankhead. Also commenting on the incident, Tomlin said an officer attempted the traffic stop at Main Street and Couch Street using lights and siren. The vehicle did not stop or accelerate, Tomlin said, and drove from Couch Street to Stallings Road and into a driveway in the 500 block of Stallings, continuing down the driveway approximately 100 yards to the house, he said.

Tomlin said the officer exited his vehicle and began telling the woman why he had attempted to stop her. Approximately four people exited the home as two other Senoia officers arrived, responding to a request for back-up by the officer, said Tomlin.

The officers encountered verbal, physical and armed threats from all four individuals, one or more of whom had weapons, Tomlin said. Bankhead said one of the men exiting the home was carrying a shotgun. There were several attempts to persuade the people to drop their weapons prior to shots being fired. The incident escalated and two of the individuals were shot, said Tomlin.

The portion of the incident involving gunfire is currently under investigation by GBI, Bankhead and Tomlin confirmed. Bankhead said Wednesday that a 61 year-old man was shot in the shoulder and grazed in the neck and a 72 year-old man was also shot. Both were transported to Atlanta-area hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries, Bankhead said. Tomlin said the officerw sustained injuries, though none were serious.

Bankhead said the specifics of the incident are currently under review by GBI and the investigation is ongoing.

City Administrator Richard Ferry said the three Senoia officers at the scene at the time of the incident were placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation, which is city policy. The names of the officers have not been released.

Tomlin said Senoia Police Department was thankful to Coweta Sheriff’s Office for it’s immediate response and assistance in the incident.

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Submitted by LINDA 1222 on Fri, 03/06/2009 - 7:57am.

I saw a story about this on the local news a couple of days ago. They interviewed some witnesses. A lady (don't know if it was the one being pulled over) said nobody but the cops has a gun. One older man pulled the race card really quick against the officers. He said something to the effect that "they" (meaning the officers, I assume) just don't know how to act when there are more that a couple of back people present. I had a feeling that race would figure into this from the very begining. I didn't expect it so early on.

Sweet Honesty

Submitted by mysteryman on Thu, 03/05/2009 - 10:29pm.

If not oh well....they were lucky the cops had sympaty for the elderly and they were only grazed....PEACE...

Submitted by LINDA 1222 on Fri, 03/06/2009 - 8:17am.

One of the witnesses I saw interviewed on the local news said, "One of the residents did come to the door with a shotgun, but in a non-threatening manner." If someone comes to the door holding a shotgun, what would quailfy as a non-threatening manner?????

Sweet Honesty

Submitted by skyspy on Sat, 03/07/2009 - 1:00am.

I know one of the many people who witnessed this act of stupidity. Two men came out of the house, one with a shotgun. They fired the shotgun on 3 police officers. This happened after the police told them to drop their weapons.

Let's review: If you see marked squad cars and officers in uniform who tell you to drop your weapon....DO WHAT THEY TELL YOU TO DO!!!

It's not rocket science folks.

I saw the lady who is related to the shotgun men on the news.(the one who wouldn't stop for a traffic stop) Here is a little news flash for you. Even if you are black you still have to obey the traffic laws of the state and county and city you live in. You can't play the "race card" to get out of it. Wake the heck up!!!

Even if there had not been so many eye witnesses to this act of civil disobedience and assault on police officers.....I bet their dash cams were still rolling and will tell the whole ugly story.

Maybe the many eye witnesses got it wrong, or maybe the woman who wouldn't stop when a cop tried to pull her over is telling the truth? Maybe if she was a good citizen she would have stopped when the cop flashed his lights, instead of driving home......time will tell.

I'm betting on the cops, the eye witnesses and the dash cams.

Submitted by mysteryman on Sat, 03/07/2009 - 3:16am.

Either you can put it down as instructed, or end up on the ground with it, the choice is yours, just remember all we are is chalk on the sidewalk... Can you say, Inbound the coroner.... I like the way you say that kids....PEACE

Submitted by mysteryman on Fri, 03/06/2009 - 9:01pm.

Im sure this person was very credible and had a birds eve view of the subsequent gun play, get real people the weapons were not brandished for show and tell time... When a uniformed officer is in your presence for any reason it would not be wise to make any threatning sudden movements, let alone produce a weapon of anykind... Remember at the end of a shotgun blast your future could be your past....Bless the ignorant....PEACE..

Submitted by skyspy on Thu, 03/05/2009 - 4:39pm.

Unless you are trying to commit suicide.

How backwards, stupid, or mental do you have to be to do something like this? Wow all of this over a traffic stop? Sick people.

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