GAINESVILLE — What began as a traffic stop in Hall County ended with a Stone Mountain man being shot in the shoulder and crashing into a utility pole.
According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, preliminary information indicates that at about 1:10 a.m. on Jan. 14, Hall County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop on Mill Street at Athens Street in Gainesville. During the traffic stop, police say the driver rapidly reversed the vehicle, striking one of the patrol vehicles and then accelerated forward in effort to flee the scene.
As the car was moving, the GBI says an officer fired his weapon at the vehicle. The driver was struck in his upper arm. The driver continued driving a short way down Mill Street toward McDonald Street, where he crashed into a utility pole, according to police.
The driver was removed from the vehicle to access his injuries. The driver was identified as 47-year-old Stone Mountain resident Marvin Tard Jr.
Hall County Fire Services and Gainesville Fire Department responded and Tard was transported to Northeast Georgia Medical Center for treatment. Tard was later released and is in custody at the Hall County Detention Center. The Georgia State Patrol is investigating the incident.
No officers were injured during the incident.
The GBI will continue its independent investigation of the officer involved shooting. Upon completion of the investigation, it will be turned over the Northeastern Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office for review.