GhLinks Media
Columbia County Sheriff Clay Whittle provided an update Sunday on the Saturday afternoon shooting on the side of I-20 that killed one deputy and injured another.
Whittle said shooting suspect James Blake Montgomery is dead, but that the manner of his death won’t be confirmed until an autopsy is done. Deputies found items that resembled the makings of pipe bombs in his vehicle, the sheriff said.
Whittle identified the deceased deputy as Brandon Sikes, a crime suppression officer who had been with the sheriff’s office since 2018.
Sikes is survived by his wife, Amber, who also is an employee of the sheriff’s office, he said.
The second deputy, Gavin White, was shot in the face. He’s in critical condition and currently undergoing surgery at Wellstar Medical Center, Whittle said. White was able to speak and move his limbs, but has a long road to recovery, he said.
The incident unfolded around 6:24 p.m. Saturday as deputies initiated a traffic stop on Montgomery to serve a domestic violence temporary restraining order, the sheriff said. Montgomery, who was driving an RV that was towing another vehicle, had pulled over to the eastbound shoulder of I-20, just west of the Belair Road exit.
The deputies exited their vehicles and spoke to Montgomery, who appeared cooperative.
But as they turned to walk away, Montgomery opened fire, striking Sikes and White, Whittle said.
Deputies entering the RV discovered items that resembled the makings of pipe bombs, as well as numerous guns, he said.
