FBI agents kill Tanger Outlet suspect after 2-day crime spree

ATLANTA — FBI agents were back on the scene Saturday after a veteran FBI agent was injured in a gun battle with a wanted suspect Friday afternoon in southwest Atlanta.

The agent was a member of the FBI task force assigned to tracking down Avery Richard, the man accused of shooting a Banks County Sheriff's Deputy outside of an outlet mall earlier this week.

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Authorities began searching for Richard Wednesday afternoon after they say he shot a Banks County sheriff's deputy outside the Tanger Outlet Mall in Commerce and then later kidnapped a woman from her home, forcing her to drive him to Atlanta.

After receiving a tip, the FBI SWAT team and ammo task force descended on a strip mall on MLK Drive around 4 p.m. and exchanged fire with the suspect.

Authorities were in the area because Richard's grandmother lives a mile and a half away.

Richard shot an agent in the arm before law enforcement returned fire and killed him.

"He was armed and dangerous.  He had already fired upon law enforcement.  And our concerns going into this were pretty high."

Officials have not released the names of the FBI agent and deputy who were shot, but they are both expected to be OK.

Dustin Terrell Heuatt, age 29, was charged with numerous felony charges to include aggravated assault on a peace officer, aggravated assault, and armed robbery.  James Hall Askew, age 26, was charged with aiding and abetting.

The Banks County Sheriff posted a Facebook message on Saturday morning expressing his gratitude, thanking the FBI on behalf of their injured deputy and all the victims and thanking god that all law enforcement officers lived to serve another day.

Channel 2's Steve Gehlbach learned Richard's problems with the law started more than a decade ago.

He spent two years in the Fulton County jail between November 2004 and June 2006 in connection with armed robbery charges.

A document from the Department of Corrections shows he served 10 years for aggravated assault with intent to rape. He was just released this past October.

Richard was an registered sex offender at the time of the shooting.

Cox Media Group