PUTNAM COUNTY, Ga. — Putnam County's sheriff says he was justified when he shot at a car tire on Saturday to stop two men he suspected of illegal solicitation.
Sheriff Howard Sills says he detained the two for illegally soliciting door-to-door and trying to drive off.
13WMAZ Jessica Cha explains how it happened.
“If you're committing a crime, get ready to be arrested by the sheriff,” Sills says.
Sills says when two men pulled up to his home Saturday afternoon offering to sell pine straw, he was suspicious.
He says he was concerned because they've seen a history of pine straw scams, or other scams of that nature, that target the elderly in the lake country.
“The county actually passed an ordinance requiring anybody selling door-to-door to do that,” he says.
Sills says he asked the men for their permit, but he says neither had one, or a driver's license, and they smelled strongly of marijuana.
“Well, you're in violation of county ordinance,” Sills says. “I said to, 'Switch your truck off. Deputies are going to be here in a minute and write you a citation.'”
Sills says while waiting for deputies to arrive, the driver got back into the vehicle and began to back out of the driveway.
He says he chased them on foot.
“I shot into the front driver's tire. He immediately stopped at that time,” Sills explains.
Sills says he only shot once into the tire and it did not pop, and was using bullets that do not ricochet. Deputies arrived soon after and arrested both men.
Sills says he followed proper procedures and did what he had to do to prevent the suspects from escaping.
“We didn’t want another high-speed chase. We have enough of those,” says Sills. “This was in my yard, there were no houses in the immediate vicinity. I knew the type of ammunition I had in the gun. Now, if it'd been in a crowded downtown area, I maybe would not have done that. I was competent in what I was doing.”
Ocmulgee Judicial Circuit District Attorney, T. Wright Barksdale says an anonymous person tipped the Georgia Bureau of Investigations about Sills firing the shot.
They passed the tip on to him, but Barksdale says he supports the sheriff.
“The sheriff was completely in his right to do what he did and we're thankful for what he did,” says Barksdale. “What Sheriff Sills did is the reason why Putnam County has a lower crime rate. It's because we've got good law enforcement out there."
Barksdale says to anyone who's concerned, “This was an appropriate act by the sheriff who's got 50 years in law enforcement, and he took two people off the street that need to be off the street.”
Sills says the driver had an outstanding warrant in Gwinnett County and was charged with misdemeanor destruction, and driving with a suspended license.
The other is accused of violating his probation.
Both are charged with illegal solicitation.
Sills says you should ask door-to-door sales people if they have a permit to sell.
If they do not have one you can contact your sheriff's office. Some counties like Putnam require permits, but others do not.