HARRIS COUNTY, Ga. — A man accused of shooting a deputy in the head during a traffic stop, grabbing his license and driving away is now facing a slew of charges.
The Harris County sheriff tells Channel 2’s Rikki Klaus, the suspect, turned himself in and admitted he did it.
Garrett not only suspect in deputy shooting. Harris Sheriff says Lytishia Horace held as fugitive from justice in AL pic.twitter.com/ZQgYvSJucU
— Rikki Klaus (@RikkiKlaus) May 30, 2016
A bullet hit Harris County deputy Jamie White right above his left eye Saturday.
A jail officer told Klaus Sunday night White is in stable condition.
Klaus talked to a witness who saw the injured deputy waving -- desperate for help.
“My heart was beating fast,” Ashley Johnson said.
Johnson was driving home from work in Harris County about 7:30 p.m Saturday when she noticed the deputy on the side of I-185 signaling for help.
“He was just kind of slouched and he threw his hand up,” Johnson said.
She turned her car around to go help, thinking it was probably a heart or asthma attack. But it was worse -- White had been shot in the face.
“Didn’t expect to see that scene,” Johnson said.
Other witnesses were already assisting the deputy, so Johnson broadcast the video on Facebook Live.
“It was just eye-opening that this is real life, you know?” Johnson said.
You can see a Pine Mountain police officer lying by White, encouraging him and tending to his wound, caused by one gunshot above his left eye.
“I really think that helped him get to the hospital,” Johnson said.
Channel 2 Action News is not showing the most graphic video out of respect for the deputy, his family and his colleagues.
The Harris County sheriff says minutes before this scene, White had pulled over 24-year-old Joe Garrett of Pheonix City, Alabama, for speeding.
Investigators say the traffic stop lasted just seven minutes before Garrett pulled out a pistol and shot the deputy.
The sheriff says Garrett got out of his blue Caprice with two female passengers, grabbed his license and drove off. Investigators say he turned himself in to the Phenix City police, but refused to give the identity of the passengers.
Garrett is in Russell County, Alabama.
The plan is for deputies to drive him back here to the Harris County jail, after a court hearing Monday.
The Associated Press reports White may lose his left eye.
Cox Media Group
