The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) is currently scrutinizing an incident involving law enforcement officers in a case that escalated into an officer-involved shooting in Wheeler County, Georgia. As reported by Georgia Bureau of Investigation's official statement, the chaos unfolded on Thursday, when deputies pursued a Silver Equinox, linked to a carjacking in Jacksonville, Florida.
During the attempt to apprehend the suspects, a Laurens County deputy tried to execute a PIT maneuver that was subsequently thwarted by the driver, Brianna Michelle Long, aged 27. With a passenger, Steven Allen Shinholster II, aged 30, at her side, the chase intensified as they continued to flee. Shinholster, reportedly took to firing at the deputies during the pursuit,—an act that continued upon entering Wheeler County. When the fugitives crashed, and as the deputies approached, Shinholster once more discharged his firearm, engaging in a standoff that spanned several hours before being subdued by GSP SWAT.
The encounter resulted in neither injury to law enforcement officers nor the alleged assailants. That afternoon, both Long and Shinholster were arrested and charged with multiple counts of aggravated assault on a peace officer, with the case to result in prosecution and review by the relevant District Attorney's Offices.
"The standoff lasted for several hours. Just after 3:00 p.m., GSP SWAT arrested Long and Shinholster," the Georgia Bureau of Investigation's report details. They were booked into the Laurens County Detention Center. Meanwhile, an additional tidbit to note is the involvement of a Georgia State Patrol trooper who was also shot at during the incident, with the trooper fortunately not sustaining any injuries.
GBI has committed to an independent investigation into both the aggravated assaults on officers and the officer-involved shooting, with a complete case file destined for the Dublin Judicial Circuit District Attorney's Office and the Oconee Judicial Circuit District Attorney's Office. For continual updates and inquiry results, the community is advised to follow the details released by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
