A suspect accused of shooting a McCaysville, Georgia, police captain in the throat was arrested Saturday morning after a local recognized him and reported his location, authorities said.
Captain Brantley Worley, a 15-year veteran of the McCaysville Police Department, was shot Friday at 11:10 p.m. while responding to a 911 call, police said. The alleged shooter, identified as 26-year-old Timothy Craig Ramsey, was located in a wooded area near a church and taken into custody without incident, McCaysville Police Chief Michael Earley said.
Police released surveillance footage showing a man believed to be the suspect fleeing the scene wearing a bright green outfit. Authorities had earlier warned the public that the suspect was "armed and extremely dangerous" and urged anyone who saw him not to approach him but to call 911. A Blue Alert, used to notify the public about a suspect accused of killing or seriously injuring a law enforcement officer, was issued as the manhunt unfolded.
Worley was airlifted to a hospital in Chattanooga and remains in critical condition, his wife, Jessica Worley, said Saturday. "I’m with him now in the ICU. I’m not going to post all of his medical injuries, but he is considered critical. I’ll be with him until he gets home," she wrote on Facebook.
Chief Earley told WIS10 that Worley has a broken neck, brain bleeding and fluid in his lungs. Worley was promoted to captain on July 21 and is a certified field training officer and firearms instructor, Earley said. The McCaysville Police Department asked the community to keep the officer, his family and the department in their thoughts and prayers.
Ramsey has been charged with aggravated assault with intent to murder a police officer and is being held at the Fannin County Jail, the department said. The charge could be upgraded if Worley dies. Investigators have not publicly disclosed a motive, and police said it remained unclear what led to the shooting.
Neighbors and local media described Ramsey as a known problem in the small town that borders Tennessee. Some residents told reporters that Ramsey had previously behaved aggressively and that, in one incident, he fired shots at his own home, breaking windows after a dispute about a neighbor's cat. Those accounts have not been detailed in public charging documents.
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp posted on social media early Saturday expressing sympathy for Worley and his family and asking Georgians to pray for the officer and for law enforcement who face danger while protecting communities.
The McCaysville Police Department said Ramsey was apprehended without incident following a tip from a local resident. Authorities said the investigation remains active and asked anyone with information about the incident to contact law enforcement. The Daily Mail reported it contacted the McCaysville Police Department for comment.