Man In Custody After Shooting Two Lavonia Officers

By Charles Robertson and MJ Kneiser, WLHR Radio, Lavonia

A South Carolina man is in custody after allegedly shooting two Lavonia Police officers during a traffic stop Monday night.

Mike Ayers with the Athens office of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said that the two Lavonia officers were shot Monday at around 8 p.m. after pulling over 22-year-old Khari Anthony Dashaun Gordon of Greenville, South Carolina at the Zaxby’s on Highway 17 in Lavonia in regards to allegedly driving a stolen vehicle.

“When the officers attempted to take him into custody, he produced a .40 caliber semi-automatic handgun and fired at both officers, striking both officers,” said Ayers. “The two officers were seriously injured. However, their injuries at this time do not appear to be life-threatening.”

Ayers said Gordon then fled from the Zaxby’s parking lot on foot, beginning a manhunt involving multiple law enforcement agencies that lasted several hours.

“Following the shooting, the scene was secured,” said Ayers. “State, federal, and local law enforcement officials converged on the area and we began a manhunt for Mr. Gordon.”

During the manhunt, several businesses in the area were put on lockdown including St. Mary’s Sacred Heart Hospital, which was put on a soft lockdown while law enforcement officers and K-9 units searched the area for Gordon.

Many employees were left waiting for the search effort to end before being allowed to leave work as the lockdown continued and roads and intersections at and around Interstate 85 were closed to the public.

One of those, Denver Carey, was working a shift at Zaxby’s and says he witnessed the event.

“I saw when they pulled in the parking lot and they pulled him over,” said Carey. “They got him out of the car and he went over to the curb. I was just going to lock my truck and then all I saw was people running and shooting and going crazy. I went back into Zaxby’s and I told them to check the back door. We just sat down.”

Then, just after 11 p.m. Monday, police alerted the media that Gordon had been captured

Ayers said Gordon remains in custody and is being charged on multiple counts.

According to authorities, Gordon is charged with two counts of aggravated assault on a police officer, two counts of criminal attempt to commit murder, and one count of possession of a weapon during the commission of a felony.

Lavonia Police Chief Bruce Carlisle said one of the officers was a veteran of the force and the other officer has only been on the job a few months.

They were taken reportedly to an area hospital for treatment of what were termed as non life-threatening injuries.

Ayers said at this time it appears that neither officer returned fire during the incident.

“Keep in mind this is preliminary,” said Ayers. “We are still processing the crime scene, but it does not appear at this time that the officers fired.”

Ayers said that the investigation remains ongoing and that more charges could be brought down.

Officers from Stephens County and surrounding counties assisted Franklin County authorities in the investigation and manhunt.

(Photo courtesy: WLHR Radio, Lavonia)