A former Elbert County Deputy was charged Monday with two counts of aggravated assault and one count of reckless conduct after GBI investigators say she shot another deputy in the hand while trying to get a weapon away from a man who was threatening to harm himself.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation arrested 36-year-old Jennifer Boggs. Boggs’ charges stem from an officer involved shooting investigation occurring in Bowman in September.
The GBI investigation revealed that 33-year-old Mac J. Cunningham, of Hartwell, contacted Elbert County 911, threatening to harm himself. The GBI says before the dispatcher could get any information or offer any assistance, he hung up the phone. The Elbert County Sheriff’s Office was able to identify where the call was made — a cemetery located off Rehobath Road in Bowman. Deputies arrived on scene and made contact with Cunningham. He was sitting inside a pick-up truck with a handgun and indicated to the deputies he wanted to harm himself.
Deputies attempted to offer Cunningham help and try to get him to surrender the gun. At one point, Deputy Jonathan Alewine attempted to break the side window of the vehicle, at which point GBI investigators say Boggs fired her handgun multiple times. Alewine was shot in the hand by that gunfire. Cunningham did not fire a weapon.
This investigation has been referred to the Northern Judicial Circuit District Attorney for prosecution.
