1 officer dead, 1 injured after shootout with suspect in Georgia
Columbia County Deputy Brandon Sikes, a crime suppression officer with the department since 2018, was killed during a standoff along Interstate 20, according to Columbia County Sheriff Clay N. Whittle on Sunday.
Sikes is survived by his wife, Amber, who is also an employee of the sheriff’s office in Columbia County, Georgia.
Another deputy, Gavin White, who is also a crime suppression offering, was shot during the incident and taken to the hospital for treatment, Whittle said.
The deadly encounter began Saturday afternoon around 6:30 p.m. when the two deputies attempted to serve a temporary protective order to a suspect identified as James Blake Montgomery. During the encounter, both deputies were shot.
Montgomery then barricaded himself inside an RV, police said.
Montgomery tried to drive away under fire, police said, and the RV crashed into a median barrier on I-20, westbound next Exit 194.
Law enforcement quickly surrounded the vehicle, they said, deploying drones and robots to assess the situation. Initially, they said, it was unclear whether Montgomery was alive inside.
After a prolonged standoff, Montgomery was found dead inside the motorhome, officials said. Sheriff's officials, aided by local, state and federal agencies, discovered multiple pipe bombs and bomb-making materials inside the RV, including at least one device rigged with a remote switch, according to Whittle on Sunday.
Beneath the motorhome, investigators found several propane cylinders, raising concerns about the potential for a catastrophic explosion, the sheriff continued.
Deputy Andrew Brown was among those who engaged Montgomery during the firefight. Whittle credited Brown with saving the life of another wounded deputy, Gavin White, by dragging him across three patrol cars and driving him directly to Doctor’s Hospital while still under fire.
"Probably saving his life, according to the doctors," Whittle said.
Authorities also recovered an illegally modified fully automatic AR-style rifle, numerous magazines, several handguns and boxes of ammunition from the motorhome, they said.
Investigators also found jars containing unknown liquids, which could be bomb-making materials or related to Montgomery’s previously known illegal steroid operation, Whittle added.
Both Sikes and Montgomery are undergoing autopsies at the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Crime Lab in Atlanta.
Augusta Mayor Garnett Johnson posted a statement on Facebook on Saturday, saying, "Heartbroken and praying for the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office and our neighbors in Columbia County. Our prayers are with the families of the fallen, the entire Sheriff’s Office, and all who are grieving this unimaginable loss. We honor their sacrifice and pray for the difficult days ahead." Columbia County is situated within the Augusta-Richmond County metropolitan area.
Georgia Gov. Brian P. Kemp also shared a statement on X on Saturday, offering condolences and saying that he is "painfully reminded of why those who wear a badge have more than earned our enduring respect and appreciation."
ABC News' Mariama Jalloh contributed to this report.
