TROUP COUNTY, Ga. — The LaGrange man accused of shooting an officer who came to his rescue says he didn’t intentionally pull the trigger. And he says he had no idea it was an officer at his door.
Laurence Williams told Channel 2’s Tom Jones the gun accidentally went off. He went on to say he worked for the city of LaGrange for more than 30 years and worked alongside officers.
He said he respects police and would never intentionally bring harm to them.
Williams walked Jones through how the shooting unfolded.
He says he grabbed his gun and was sitting by his front door because pranksters had been banging on it repeatedly and running away. He says when someone knocked again, he was afraid.
“And when I got up and swung the gun around, it done went off. So I guess this finger hit that trigger,” he said.
A shot went off, going through the door and hitting a LaGrange police officer in the leg.
Williams insists he didn’t intend to shoot the officer.
“He was coming to help us,” he said.
It all began after Williams and his wife called 911 after someone kept banging on their door Nov. 16 then kept running away. He says it was dark and very frightening.
“I mean, I was scared,” he said.
He grabbed his gun. Then someone banged on the door again.
“I didn’t know it was no police. I was sitting there still scared. Trembling,” Wiliams recalled.
He says that’s when his shotgun went off, wounding the officer.
Williams says when you look at where the hole went through the door, it’s clear he wasn’t trying to shoot anyone.
“It would be up here somewhere if I was trying to shoot him,” he said.
He pointed out the hole is in the lower part of the door.
Williams says he never saw any police lights and didn’t hear the officer announce himself.
Still, he wanted to apologize to the officer.
“I’d tell him I’m sorry. I’m real sorry. I didn’t mean to shoot him,” he said.
Williams faces charges of Aggravated Assault, Felony Possession of a Firearm and Filing a False Report.
He and his wife say the charge of filing a false report makes it seem like they tried to lure the officer to their home and shoot him. They say that makes no sense.
Williams is out on bond.
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