James Bartholomew Cauthen, a battalion fire chief in Georgia’s Coweta County, was fatally shot Sunday in Alabama after leaving his residence there and helping a couple who had struck a deer with their car, the Chambers County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.
Local deputies were initially responding to a traffic accident as a result of the deer collision. When they arrived on the scene on County Road 267 in the Stroud neighborhood, they found Cauthen, who owned a property nearby, dead and two other individuals injured with gunshot wounds, the sheriff’s office said Sunday.
The office stated Monday that nearby resident William Randall Franklin had opened fire on Cauthen and the driver when the duo approached his house for help due to a lack of cell phone reception at the site.
Investigators told CBS affiliate WRBL that Franklin opened fire “without warning” as they approached his driveway. The driver was also armed and returned fire, injuring Franklin. The driver’s wife was reportedly uninjured and remained in the car during the shootout.
Chambers County Chief Deputy Mike Parrish told WRBL on Monday that it was one of the most tragic events in his decadeslong career.
The outlet reported that Cauthen tried to flee but collapsed in a ditch while attempting to cross the street.
The sheriff’s office confirmed Monday that Franklin was transported to the Piedmont Medical Center and “will be arrested upon release” after being treated.
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Cauthen had been with Coweta County Fire Rescue for 24 years, the department wrote in a post on Facebook Monday.
“He was an amazing, hard-working man with a gentle soul,” the post read. “Just like many of you, we have many questions as we navigate through this horrible tragedy. Our hearts and prayers go out to Cauthen’s family, friends and our brothers and sisters in the Fire Rescue family who worked closely with him.”