A man armed with a 12-gauge shotgun allegedly pounded on a hotel room door in Acworth, claimed to be an FBI agent, and then fired a round through the door, according to Cobb County court records. James Ticer is now facing multiple felony charges, including aggravated assault with intent to murder, and is being held without bond.
According to WSB-TV, court records describe Ticer banging the shotgun against the door of a room at the Quality Inn on Cowan Road, ordering the male guest to leave and declaring himself a federal agent. Court records cited by the station say Ticer explicitly threatened to “blow your [expletive] head off” while aiming the shotgun through the door, then demanded to be let inside.
The Quality Inn sits at 5035 Cowan Road in Acworth, just off Interstate 75 near Lake Acworth, according to Visit Acworth.
Surveillance Footage Captures Shotgun Confrontation
Court records show the confrontation was captured on the hotel’s surveillance system, documenting both the initial door-banging encounter and what happened next. The same footage reportedly recorded Ticer aiming the shotgun directly at the guest after he eventually exited the room, per the station’s report.
Investigators say Ticer went on to fire a shot through the victim’s hotel room door and break the door’s electronic lock, causing roughly $1,600 in damage. That damage figure is what pushed the property-damage allegation into felony territory — under Georgia Code § 16-7-23, second-degree criminal damage to property becomes a felony once the loss exceeds $500, according to Justia Law, carrying a potential sentence of one to five years.
Felony Charges Stack Up Against Ticer
Ticer now faces aggravated assault with intent to murder, second-degree criminal damage to property, impersonating an officer, and a misdemeanor reckless conduct count, per the same account. Georgia Code § 16-5-21 classifies aggravated assault with a deadly weapon as a felony carrying one to 20 years in prison, according to Justia Law. Separately, falsely holding oneself out as a peace officer or public employee with intent to mislead is punishable under Georgia Code § 16-10-23 by one to five years in prison and a fine of up to $1,000.
Notably, Georgia case law doesn't require prosecutors to prove the hotel guest actually believed Ticer's FBI claim. Under the precedent set in Self v. State, Justia Law notes that the state only has to show Ticer intended to deceive the victim, not that the deception succeeded.
Federal statute 18 U.S. Code § 912 bars falsely pretending to be a federal officer and carries penalties of up to three years in prison, fines, or both, according to Illinois Leaks.
Jailed Without Bond in Cobb County
Ticer was denied bond, the station reported. His connection to the victim and how he was targeted remain unclear, the station reported.
Hoodline previously reported on a Houston man posing as an ICE agent.
