An investigation is underway following an overnight incident early Sunday that involved an exchange of gunfire between a Hall County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) deputy and a motorist fleeing a traffic stop.
The incident unfolded around 3 a.m. (Sunday), according to the sheriff’s office, when deputies attempted to stop a vehicle that was driving erratically on I-985/Georgia 365 northbound. The driver, later identified as Austin Cole Abel, 26, of Cleveland, turned from 365 onto eastbound Lula Road with a sheriff’s
deputy following him.
Initial details of the investigation indicate Abel opened fire on the patrol vehicle and the deputy returned fire. Neither was injured.
Abel continued driving his vehicle on Lula Road, eventually driving into a ditch and overturning it. Other deputies confronted him and took him into custody after a short standoff. Abel complained of minor injuries following the traffic accident, but refused medical treatment.