The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is investigating a shooting involving an Athens man in Madison County.
An Athens man, 47-year-old Earnest Howard, was arrested and charged after a shooting involving an off-duty GBI officer Saturday. His charges include Aggravated Assault, Battery, Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony, Cruelty to Children, False Imprisonment, and False Imprisonment of a Person Under the Age of 14.
Investigators say that Howard was driving on Kimberly Circle when he started braking hard in front of another vehicle and eventually stopped, blocking the road with his car. The other driver, a 38-year-old-man, whose teenage daughter was also in the vehicle, exited with his revolver.
Howard initiated a physical altercation, according to investigators, and gained control of the other man’s revolver, attempting to fire it. The 38-year-old man took back possession of his firearm and shot it multiple times.
An off-duty GBI officer saw the fight and stopped to intervene. Howard left and drove into Clarke County, where he called 911 and reported he had been shot. Emergency Medical Services took him to a hospital, though he was later released and booked into the Madison County Jail.
The GBI investigation is active and ongoing.
