Georgia Fire Chief Shot Dead After Stopping to Help Couple Who Hit Deer with Their Car: Police

A Georgia fire chief has been fatally shot after stopping to help a couple who struck a deer with their car in Alabama.

Coweta County Battalion Fire Chief James Bartholomew Cauthen was found dead and two others injured with gunshot wounds in the Stroud neighborhood at around 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 19, the Chambers County Alabama Sheriff’s Office said in a news release. 

Police were responding to a traffic accident involving a deer when they found the three victims, per the release. “Early investigation indicates that Chief Cauthen was attempting to assist individuals that had struck a deer while traveling on County Road 267,” the sheriff’s office said.

According to authorities, per the release, local resident William Randall Franklin allegedly “opened fire on Chief Cauthen and the individuals that struck the deer,” injuring all three.

“Chief Cauthen succumbed to his injuries prior to deputies arriving on the scene,” the sheriff’s office said. The two injured individuals were transported by helicopter to LaGrange and Columbus trauma centers in Georgia. 

A subsequent update from the Sheriff’s Office revealed that Cauthen was 54-years-old and was from Moreland, Georgia. “Our hearts and prayers go out to Coweta County for his loss,” added the authorities.

Investigators believe that Cauthen had helped the couple after noticing their vehicle and injured deer when leaving his nearby property, WRBL reported. 

“The fire chief and the driver, unable to call for help due to poor cell phone service in the remote area, decided to walk to the nearby home to ask for assistance,” Chambers County Chief Deputy Mike Parrish said, per the outlet. He also called the incident one of the most “heartbreaking and bizarre cases in his more than 30 years of service.”

Investigators allege that Franklin, 33, shot at Cauthen and the driver “without warning” as they “approached the driveway” of the nearby home. The driver was also armed and returned fire, injuring Franklin, according to WRBL.

“Chief Cauthen attempted to cross the street but collapsed in a ditch and succumbed to his injuries before deputies arrived,” the outlet reported.

A warrant was issued for Franklin and he will be arrested upon release from Piedmont Medical Center, police said.

Police are asking anyone with information relating to this case to contact the Criminal Investigations Division at (334)864-4333. 

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.          

PEOPLE did not immediately hear back from the Chambers County Alabama Sheriff’s Office when an update was requested.