Man Charged After Firing at Deputies During High-Speed Chase in Hall County

At the request of the Hall County Sheriff’s Office, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) is investigating an officer-involved shooting that occurred early Friday morning in Hall County, Georgia. No injuries were reported during the incident.

Around 3:00 a.m., Hall County deputies attempted to stop a vehicle driven erratically by 27-year-old Austin Cole Abel of Cleveland, Georgia, on State Road 365. Abel refused to stop, leading deputies on a chase to Brookton Lula Road near the intersection of Clarks Bridge Road. During the pursuit, Abel fired multiple shots at a deputy, striking the patrol car. The deputy returned fire from the vehicle.

The chase continued for approximately two miles before deputies forced Abel’s SUV into a ditch on Lula Road. Abel initially refused to exit the vehicle but eventually complied and was taken into custody. EMTs treated him at the scene before he was transported to the Hall County Detention Center.

Abel faces charges including four counts of Aggravated Assault on a Police Officer, Fleeing/Attempting to Elude, Obstruction of a Police Officer, DUI Drugs-Less Safe, and several traffic violations.

The GBI is conducting an independent investigation, and the findings will be submitted to the Hall County District Attorney’s Office for review.