A man with a history of felony convictions in Tennessee will spend nearly two decades in a Georgia prison after pleading guilty to shooting at a sheriff’s deputy and possessing methamphetamine in Catoosa County.
What We Know: According to court records, Travis Downie pled guilty on February 25 in Catoosa County Superior Court to aggravated assault on a peace officer, possession of methamphetamine between 4 and 28 grams, stalking, harassing communications, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The charges stem from a shooting on May 26, 2024, when Downie fired several times at a Catoosa County Sheriff’s Office patrol car on American Boulevard.
After the shooting, Downie ran from the area. Deputies, with the help of a K-9 officer, found him hiding nearby. Downie then showed deputies where he had hidden the firearm under a porch.
Downie received a sentence of 45 years, with 18 years to serve without parole as a recidivist. District Attorney Clayton M. Fuller said in a statement, “Law enforcement is one of the most dangerous jobs in our community and we protect those who have the courage to wear the badge and join the thin blue line that protects us from violent criminals,” said District Attorney Clayton M. Fuller. “If Tennessee trash rolls down hill to Northwest Georgia, don’t worry, we’ll take care of it. We take out our trash and warehouse it in prison.”
By The Numbers:
- 45 years: Total sentence
- 18 years: Time to serve without parole
- 4 to 28 grams: Amount of methamphetamine involved
- May 26, 2024: Date of the shooting
- February 25, 2025: Date of guilty plea
