A Columbia County sheriff’s deputy died, and another was wounded Saturday night during a traffic stop on I-20.
A section of the highway was closed for about nine hours as a result of the shootout which happened near the Belair Road exit. The suspect, identified as James Blake Montgomery, was barricaded in an RV during the confrontation. What led to the traffic stop was not immediately known.
The identities of the deputies were not immediately released nor was the condition of the wounded officer. Gov. Brian Kemp reacted with a statement that was posted on X, saying he and his family are “praying for the loved ones and colleagues of the Columbia County sheriff’s deputy that has fallen in the line of duty, as well as his fellow law enforcement officer injured tonight while protecting his fellow Georgians.”
Montgomery, 38, has a police record that includes assault.