Suspect opens fire on deputies, is shot twice at Banks Crossing

Posted 8:37PM on Friday, February 6, 2015

BANKS CROSSING - A wanted felon was shot after opening fire on Banks County deputies in the parking lot of a Banks Crossing shopping center Friday afternoon. According to Sgt. Carissa McFaddin of Banks County Sheriff's Office, the incident happened at 1:27 p.m. in the parking lot of The Shoppes at Banks Crossing. Two Banks County deputies approached 39-year-old Malcody Dinges, who was was wanted on a parole violation warrant. "The initial information that GBI received is that as the deputies approached Dinges at 300 Banks Drive in Commerce he produced a gun and fired at the deputies," McFaddin said in a prepared statement. Sheriff Carlton Speed provided a few more details about the incident during a news conference Friday evening. Speed said uniform patrol officers attempted to contact Dinges, "at which time he fled [on foot] from the officers. While running, he drew a weapon and discharged it at the officers. The officers returned fire, striking the subject." Dinges was struck twice, officials confirmed, noting deputies and Dinges fired multiple times. Dinges was taken to Athens Regional Medical Center for treatment, where he remained Friday night. The vehicles involved were near the back corner of the parking lot of the shopping center, between Goody's and Lenox. Evidence markers covered the lane of the parking lot down from Shooter's Gear and Ammo, near PetSense and Aaron Rents. The North Georgia Regional Drug Enforcement Office has an active investigation on Dinges for distribution of methamphetamine, officials confirmed. Members of that unit were attempting to locate Dinges when officers saw him in the area of Highway 441 and Interstate 85 at Banks Crossing Friday. "We were looking at him for some narcotics activity," Speed said. GBI Special Agent in Charge Mike Ayers of the Bureau's Athens office said they would not go into specifics about the ongoing investigation that led to Friday's incident. Asked if other people are in custody as a result of the incident, Ayers said, "There has been no one else placed under arrest at this time." Speed acknowledged his officers have a dangerous job every day, noting he is thankful neither was hurt in Friday's shootout. "I'm very grateful my officers are uninjured," Speed said. "It was a blessing." Speed declined to comment on whether anyone else was in the vehicle with Dinges at the time of the incident, citing the ongoing investigation. "We have identified multiple witnesses to the altercation," Ayers said. "Those people have been very gracious in coming forward and speaking with us about that." Asked if those at the shopping center were in danger during the shootout, Ayers said, "That would be impossible for me to speculate. Of course any time a weapon is discharged it does pose a potential danger. As far as anybody being directly in the line, it doesn't appear that that's the case." Ayers said the GBI's involvement in investigating the officer-involved shooting is routine. "Our role, in terms of working in state law enforcement and providing support for local law enforcement, and specifically in use-of-force investigations, is that we provide that independent eye," Ayers said. "This is not anything that's unusual. In fact, the farther you get outside the Metro Atlanta area, the greater involvement you see for GBI in investigations concerning violent or complex investigations. The GBI enjoys an excellent working relationship with the sheriff of Banks County and the surrounding counties here, so it's almost a normal course of business that they would reach out and contact us." After hearing the reference to the drug investigation, Ayers was asked if an unmarked vehicle was involved. "There was not an undercover car involved in the shooting," Ayers stressed. "As far as anything else regarding what led up to this, we're not in the position to be able to go into that at this time. That information needs to be released to the district attorney." McFaddin confirmed that in accordance with departmental policy the two Banks County deputies involved, who officials are not identifying, are on paid administrative leave pending the conclusion of the investigation. The North Georgia Regional Drug Enforcement Office is made up of law enforcement personnel from sheriff's offices in Banks, Habersham, Lumpkin, Rabun, Stephens, Towns and White counties, the Georgia State Patrol and the GBI. Speed said any additional information released on Friday's incident will come from the GBI.