Deputies: Stolen Kia investigation ends with arrests and gunfire in Macon

Deputies say suspects ran from a stolen vehicle and multiple firearms were recovered.

UPDATE: Deputies say Rickie Scott Watson has been released from the hospital and taken to the Bibb County Jail.

Watson is charged with obstruction of a law enforcement officer, two counts of felony theft by receiving stolen property and two counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime.

He’s being held without bond.

UPDATE: The Bibb County Sheriff’s Office clarified Tuesday night that Rickie Scott Watson was the suspect taken into custody near the stolen vehicle after a deputy deployed a Taser. Deputies say George Weaks ran from the scene into a wooded area before being arrested near Sharon Drive.

Deputies say they’re still looking for two additional suspects.

ORIGINAL STORY:

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — The Bibb County Sheriff’s Office says two people were arrested Tuesday afternoon after a stolen vehicle investigation that led to gunfire and a large law enforcement response.

According to a sheriff’s office news release, deputies located a stolen Kia Sportage just after 3:30 p.m. in the 3000 block of Gledhill Street near Churchill Street. When deputies approached the vehicle, they say two male suspects ran.

The sheriff’s office says one armed suspect was taken into custody near the vehicle after a deputy deployed a Taser. The second suspect ran into a wooded area nearby.

While chase the suspect into the woods, deputies say they heard gunfire before encountering two males armed with rifles who ignored commands to surrender and continued to run. The sheriff’s office believes multiple automatic rounds were fired either “to harm or intimidate pursuing deputies.”

Additional deputies responded to the scene, along with the Georgia State Patrol and the U.S. Marshals Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force. The sheriff’s office says one suspect was eventually caught near Sharon Drive.

Deputies identified one of the suspects as 34-year-old Rickie Scott Watson. They say he was taken to a hospital for treatment of a minor injury. The second suspect was identified as 17-year-old George Weaks, who was taken to the Bibb County Jail.

The sheriff’s office has not clarified which suspect was arrested near the vehicle and which was arrested near Sharon Drive. It’s also not clear whether the two armed individuals encountered in the woods were among those arrested or if additional suspects remain at large. 41NBC News has reached out to the sheriff’s office for clarification.

Weaks is charged with obstruction of a law enforcement officer, possession of a firearm by a person under 18, theft by receiving stolen property and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime. He is being held without bond.

Deputies say multiple firearms were recovered and that there is no imminent threat to the community.

“We will be relentless in our hunt for anyone who tries to either harm or intimidate our deputies,” Bibb County Sheriff David Davis said. “Attacks like what happened today will not be tolerated.”

If you have information, call the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office at (478) 751-7500 or Macon Regional Crimestoppers at 1-877-68-CRIME.