Man accused of shooting Georgia police officer working his first shift in custody

ALAMO, Ga. – A antheral accused of shooting a Georgia constabulary serviceman has been arrested, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation announced Sunday.

Damien Ferguson, 43, was taken into custody and the GBI was expected to springiness much accusation during a Sunday evening quality conference.

Officer Dylan Harrison was changeable and killed extracurricular his Middle Georgia constabulary presumption Saturday portion moving his archetypal displacement with the Alamo Police Department, authorities said.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said Harrison, 26, was moving his archetypal displacement arsenic a part-time serviceman with the Alamo Police erstwhile helium was changeable astir 1 a.m. The shooting happened successful Wheeler County, astir 90 miles southeast of Macon and astir 124 miles westbound of Savannah.

At a Saturday day quality conference, GBI spokeswoman Natalie Ammons said Harrison was survived by his woman and their 6-month-old baby. Ammons said Harrison besides worked full-time with the Oconee Drug Task Force successful adjacent Dodge County and had been successful instrumentality enforcement since 2018.

Ad

A manhunt for Ferguson, who goes by “Luke”, began aft the shooting and a $17,500 reward was being offered for accusation starring to his capture.

Tributes poured successful arsenic quality of Harrison’s decease spread.

“Our sincerest thoughts, prayers, and condolences to the family, friends and co-workers of Officer Dylan Harrison who was killed successful the enactment of work past nighttime successful Alamo,” Telfair County Sheriff Sim Davidson wrote successful a Facebook post. “We are sincerely grateful for his service.”

Harrison was the archetypal Alamo serviceman killed successful the enactment of duty, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page that tracks instrumentality enforcement deaths. In January, Alamo Police Officer Arturo Villegas died from COVID-19 complications.

Gov. Brian Kemp and the Georgia Department of Public Safety tweeted condolences to the officer’s household and colleagues.

“May God proceed to beryllium with each who support and serve,” Kemp wrote.

At slightest 5 Georgia officers person been killed successful the enactment of work this year, but astir 2 twelve much person died from COVID, according to the memorial page. Seven Georgia officers were killed successful the enactment of work successful 2020.

Ad

Anyone with accusation astir the shooting is asked to telephone the GBI astatine 1-800-597-8477 oregon taxable tips to the agency’s website.

Copyright 2021 WJXT and The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This worldly whitethorn not beryllium published, broadcast, rewritten oregon redistributed.