William Randall Franklin was arrested after a shootout with Coweta County Battalion Fire Chief James Bartholomew Cauthen and the driver, who had stopped to help after striking a deer. The fire chief was killed, while the driver was injured. Franklin is awaiting extradition to Alabama.
A man accused of killing a Georgia fire chief who stopped to help a driver who struck a deer has been arrested in connection with the fatal shooting, a police official said Tuesday. William Randall Franklin was taken into custody after he was struck in a shootout with Coweta County Battalion Fire Chief James Bartholomew Cauthen, 54, and the driver, who has not been identified, Chambers County Sheriff Chief Deputy Mike Parrish told NBC News.
Franklin was released from a local hospital and is awaiting extradition from Muscogee County, Georgia, to Chambers County, Alabama, where he has a warrant for murder in connection with Cauthen’s killing, Parrish said. No words appear to have been exchanged before Franklin allegedly opened fire on Cauthen and the driver, who’d approached the suspect’s home Saturday afternoon after he and his wife struck the animal in an “extremely” rural section of Alabama near the Georgia state line, the chief deputy said. Cauthen had been nearby and stopped to help the couple, Parrish said, but without cell service, the fire chief and the driver walked less than 30 yards to Franklin’s home. The motorist’s wife remained in the car, Parrish said. When they approached Franklin’s driveway, the suspect allegedly walked outside and began shooting, Parrish said. Cauthen and the motorist returned fire, the chief deputy said. Cauthen was pronounced dead at the scene, Parrish said. The driver was struck in the arm and released from the hospital the same day. Franklin was struck twice in the arm and once in the thigh, Parrish said. A motive in the shooting remains unclear. The suspect’s family has said Franklin has mental health issues, Parrish said. A deputy who responded to the scene said that the suspect appeared intoxicated, the chief deputy added. It wasn't immediately clear if Franklin has a lawyer to speak on his behalf. Family members could not be reached for comment. Cauthen had been with the fire department in nearby Coweta County for more than two decades and was known as a hard-working man with a gentle soul, the agency said in a statement. 'Just like many of you, we have many questions as we navigate through this horrible tragedy,' the agency said
MURDER SHOOTING FIRE CHIEF ALABAMA GEORGIA DEER ACCIDENT
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