A Georgia county fire chief was fatally shot in Alabama after attempting to assist individuals who had struck a deer while traveling, police said.
The deceased was identified as James Bartholomew Cauthen, a 54-year-old battalion fire chief with Coweta County Fire, the Chambers County Alabama Sheriff’s Office confirmed in a news release.
The sheriff’s office’s early investigation determined that Cauthen was trying to help two people who had hit a deer while they were driving on County Road 267 in Lafayette, Alabama on Sunday. When deputies arrived at the scene around 5 p.m., they found Cauthen and the two individuals who had hit the deer with gunshot wounds, according to the release.
“A deer wreck…you pull up and three people are shot – it just don’t make sense any way you look at it,” Chambers County Chief Deputy Mike Parrish told WTVM. “We just really didn’t know what happened. It was just bizarre.”
Cauthen died from his injuries, while the other two individuals were taken by helicopter to LaGrange and Columbus trauma centers, the sheriff’s office said.
“Our hearts and prayers go out to Coweta County for his loss,” the sheriff’s office said.
Alabama man charged with James Bartholomew Cauthen’s murder
Arrest warrants for murder were issued for William Randall Franklin, an Alabama man who resided in the area of the shooting and traffic incident, according to the sheriff’s office.
Franklin, who was also injured in the “shootout,” will be arrested once he is released from the hospital, the sheriff’s office said. WTVM reported that Franklin was released on Monday and subsequently arrested by the Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office. He is awaiting extradition to Chambers County, according to the TV station.
Investigators said Franklin was the one who opened fire on Cauthen and the two unidentified individuals who struck the deer, according to the sheriff’s office.
It is unclear if Franklin has legal representation as of Tuesday.
‘We lost one of the best ones’
In the comment section of the sheriff’s office’s release, Maddie Troyer, an advanced emergency medical technician with Coweta County Fire, said, “Horrible. CCFR is broken-hearted tonight.”
“We lost one of the best ones,” she added.
Coweta County Fire also commented on its chief’s death in a news release on Monday, saying, “Coweta County Fire Rescue continues to be devastated by the tragic passing of Battalion Chief Bart Cauthen. Cauthen has been with our department for more than 24 years. He was an amazing, hard-working man with a gentle soul.”
“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,” the department continued. “We want to thank all of the agencies who have reached out to us to offer condolences, as well as our community. Coweta County is always there to support our agency, we will get through this together.”
No further details about the incident were released, but the department confirmed that funeral arrangements for Cauthen have not been made. In honor of Cauthen, the department shared a Facebook post on Monday saying the chief’s “shift at the fire house” was today and “he is already missed.”
“Our team showing their respect! #COWETASTRONG,” the department said. “We want to thank the community for the support and prayers and all the agencies that have reached out to lift us up.”
