Thursday, March 28

Richmond County deputy shooting: What we know today


AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Richmond County Sheriff Richard Roundtree on Friday identified a deputy who was shot the day before and gave more details about the shooting after a traffic stop.

Deputy John A. Tarpley was shot in the incident that happened just before 4 p.m. Thursday at the Charlestowne South Apartments, 2119 Lumpkin Road off Peach Orchard Road. Tarpley suffered injuries that were not life-threatening, according to authorities.

A female suspect is in custody and has been transported to the hospital for a gunshot wound, which is also believed not to be life-threatening.

Roundtree said after the woman shot Tarpley, deputies returned fire.

The bullet from deputies struck a window at the woman’s apartment, and her child was cut by a piece of glass from it, according to Roundtree.

Roundtree gave this description of events:

At 4:10 p.m. Thursday, crime-suppression deputies Tarpley and Dontavion Jones conducted a traffic stop at the apartment complex.

Richmond County Deputy John A Tarpley (left) was shot and Deputy Dontavion J. Jones was on the...
Richmond County Deputy John A Tarpley (left) was shot and Deputy Dontavion J. Jones was on the scene, as well.(WRDW)

The vehicle was a white Impala driven by a Darius Rivera with a woman identified as Iadija Harvey in the front passenger seat, according to Roundtree.

Tarpley and Jones engaged the driver after smelling marijuana coming from the vehicle and told Rivera to exit the vehicle, Roundtree said.

Harvey exited the vehicle and took her 5-year-old son from the rear passenger seat and ran into her apartment, according to Roundtree.

A deputy chased her and attempted to stop Harvey from entering the apartment, but she got to the door, opened it and a struggle took place, according to Roundtree.

Jones continued to advise Harvey to stop while Tarpley secured Rivera in the patrol car and joined Jones as they struggled with Harvey, according to Roundtree.

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Harvey had her 5-year-old son in front of her reached into her purse and got a revolver and fired at least one shot, which struck Tarpley in the upper right chest, according to Roundtree.

Jones returned fire striking, striking Harvey twice in the leg, according to Roundtree.

Richmond County Sheriff Richard Roundtree on May 27, 2022, discusses the shooting of a deputy...
Richmond County Sheriff Richard Roundtree on May 27, 2022, discusses the shooting of a deputy the day before.(WRDW)

Harvey then fled and was later arrested by deputies at 2722 Margaret Court, according to Roundtree.

Tarpley was given aid at the scene and transported to Augusta University Medical Center.

Roundtree on Friday morning condemned the shooting of the deputy but said it was incomprehensible that the woman would have done so with her child present.

“At no point would you think that a mother would pull a gun on two deputies” with a 5-year-old in the line of fire, Roundtree said.

In addition, “this was someone who never should have had possession of a firearm,” Roundtree said.

He said considering the circumstances, deputies did a remarkable job. Roundtree said Tarpley and Jones have been with his agency since 2018.

As is common with shootings involving officers in the state, the incident is being investigated by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Roundtree said. Any charges will come from that agency.

Richmond County deputy shot during traffic stop on Lumpkin Road
Richmond County deputy shot during traffic stop on Lumpkin Road

Roundtree’s agency has been dealing with an uptick in violent crime in recent weeks, involving many shootings, several of them deadly.

As a result, he’s boosted patrols in some areas of the city where crime is high.

One of those areas is the part of town where Thursday’s shooting happened, Roundtree said.

He also said it wasn’t the first time his agency has death with a problem at that apartment complex.

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Roundtree blamed the area more than the complex itself.

However, we spoke to one resident Thursday who had something to say about the management of the complex.

“A lot of people here are really low-key. They don’t really get in much trouble,” the resident said. “I think it’s really more on the apartment. Apartment management. They need to be stepping up, making sure they’re checking people.”

Roundtree said there’s no footage that his agency has been able to use from security cameras at the complex. He did say both deputies involved in the incident were wearing body cameras.

District Attorney Jared Williams on Friday morning said he was “sickened and saddened” by the shooting.

“Our community is fed up with shootings, and now more than ever we need officers who protect our citizens,” he said in a statement. “To turn a gun on one of our peace officers is a vile act of someone with a malignant heart, and any such violence will result in my office using every tool at the disposal of the State to remove you from our community. Keep your guns off our officers. Keep your guns off our citizens. We will keep fighting for the soul and safety of our community.”

Soon after the shooting, a resident of the complex described what he saw.

“I saw a car swerving really fast into the complex, and it was police behind them. Once they got to a halt, I heard gunshots,” said Flame Cali.

It was just after work when he says he saw part of the shooting unfold.

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“I immediately looked and I paused for a moment. The police got out and they started firing back. I saw the officer get hit, as well,” he said.

“I just hope everything turns out good. It was a wild sight. A wild sight.”

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