UPDATE: GBI identifies man who died in shootout with law enforcement in Twiggs County

According to a sheriff's office news release, a deputy pulled over a vehicle on Highway 96 near the Highway 358 intersection just before 10:30 p.m. As the deputy got out of his patrol car, the driver sped away.

UPDATE (7/21/25): The GBI has identified 26-year-old Christopher J. Martin-Holmes of Conley as the man killed in Friday night’s shootout with a Twiggs County deputy.

Investigators say Martin-Holmes fired at the deputy after crashing during a high-speed chase. The deputy returned fire. A second man, 23-year-old Phillip Ellison Jr. of Ellenwood, was arrested and faces felony charges. No officers were hurt.

ORIGINAL STORY (7/19/25):

JEFFERSONVILLE, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – One person is dead and another is in custody after a high-speed chase and shootout with a Twiggs County Sheriff’s Office deputy late Friday night.

According to a sheriff’s office news release, a deputy pulled over a vehicle on Highway 96 near the Highway 358 intersection just before 10:30 p.m. As the deputy got out of his patrol car, the driver sped away.

Deputies say the suspect drove recklessly before crashing on I-16 Westbound at the Sgoda Road exit, with the vehicle ending up on its side. According to the release, as the deputy approached the vehicle, the suspects inside began shooting.

The deputy returned fire, and one suspect died as a result of gunfire. Twiggs County Coroner Harold Reece Jr. pronounced him dead on scene.

The second suspect was taken into custody.

The names of the suspects are being withheld until family is notified.

The sheriff’s office and Georgia Bureau of Investigation are continuing to investigate.