GAINESVILLE - A 21-year-old Hall County man pulled up to the Georgia State Patrol Post 6 Monday morning and fired two shots at troopers, who returned fire, hitting the man in the right shoulder, officials said at a news conference Monday.
Leighton Beaux Marchetta of 3438 Lakeland Drive in Hall County pulled into the parking lot of the Specialized Collision Reconstruction Team building at Post 6 on Cleveland Highway in a Ford F-350 pickup truck shortly before 8 a.m. today. He confronted two troopers who were in the parking lot and fired a round from a large-caliber rifle, said Sherry Lang, spokeswoman for the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, which is investigating the shooting.
"He made a statement along the lines of 'You guys are going to have to kill me," she said.
Marchetta was armed with a Ruger American 30.06 rifle. He got off two rounds before being ordered by Trooper Steve Thompson, a 15-year veteran of the state patrol, to drop his weapon. When Marchetta refused, Thompson shot him in the right shoulder with a 9mm handgun. As is standard procedure, Thompson has been placed on administrative leave while the investigation continues. The other trooper in the parking lot was identified as Jeremy Allison, a four-year veteran. Allison made a call to 911. Officials are expected to release that call later today, as well as dashboard camera footage of the incident.
Marchetta was taken by ambulance to the Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville. He is expected to be released from the hospital Monday afternoon or evening, and he will be taken immediately to the Hall County Jail. Lang said he is will be charged with two counts of aggravated assault on a police officer.
Capt. Keith Canup, a spokesman for the Georgia State Patrol, said troopers were lucky they weren't shot during the incident.
"He was using a high-powered rifle," Canup said. "It may have pierced the armor (the troopers) were wearing."
Lang said officials aren't sure if Marchetta has any kind of criminal record. She couldn't say if Marchetta fired shots directly at the officers or into the air.
Lang said Marchetta was apparently intoxicated at the time of the shooting.
Officials are executing search warrants at Marchetta's home today, Lang said.
This story will be updated.
