Shots Fired in ATV Trespass Incident

CHEROKEE COUNTY — Cherokee County law enforcement is looking for a suspect after a deputy fired at a driver attempting to run him over. According to KETK, Captain John Raffield says at 5 a.m. Thursday, dispatchers received a call from a landowner in the 3000 block of County Road 1701 on reports of an ATV on her property. The caller said her husband was trying to block the exit until authorities arrived.

While responding to the scene, authorities found an abandoned ATV near the intersection of CR 1701 and CR 1721. One deputy remained at the location and began looking for the driver while the other deputy continued to the caller’s property. Once the deputy arrived at the caller’s home, he heard an ATV nearby and called for backup, according to Raffield. About 30 minutes later, the second deputy reported he found the ATV and trespasser.

The deputy then tried to stop the person, and the driver reportedly attempted to run him over before heading in the direction of the other deputy on scene. That deputy had blocked the road to keep the driver from leaving with little room on either side of the patrol car. As the ATV rider approached the deputy at a high rate of speed, he drove directly at the law enforcement officer who was ordering him to stop. The driver continued toward the deputy, who then fired several shots at the person, causing the ATV to veer off and eventually escape. The rider left the area before deputies could catch him in their vehicles. Other law enforcement officers responded and searched the area, but were not able to locate the ATV.

Investigators arrived to process the scene, and the search continued until 9:00 a.m., when the ATV was discovered abandoned on a property off CR 1721. The ATV was near the location of other ATVs stolen earlier in the morning, according to authorities. Neither deputy involved in the call was injured, and it was not immediately known if the ATV passenger was hurt. No other information was immediately available for release.