Community mourns loss of Ga. fire official killed in Alabama

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - Coweta County Fire Rescue is mourning the loss of own of their own.

Authorities say 54-year-old James Bartholomew Cauthen, who served as a Battalion Chief was killed in Alabama Sunday.

“Ultimately, he was a very jovial person, straight forward you can’t ask for a better person,” said Donnie Musgrave.

Musgrave is a former Coweta County fire official who worked alongside Cauthen.

“It’s kind of sad obviously somebody who constantly puts themselves in front of people to help turns out in a tragic situation like this,” Musgrave said. “It’s really devastating to the community, to the department and everybody.”

According to Chambers County Sheriff’s Office Cauthen was killed while trying to help a driver who was in a deer wreck.

It happened in Stroud, Alabama near the Georgia state line.

Deputies have arrested William Randall Franklin who’s been charged with murder.

Authorities allege Cauthen and the driver had walked to a nearby house to ask for help and that’s when Franklin, who lives nearby opened fire.

Investigators say all three men were armed and all three were shot.

Cauthen died on the scene. Franklin and the unidentified driver were taken to the hospital.

Coweta County Fire and Rescue sent this statement:

The motive for the shooting remains unknown.

Musgrave said the loss has affected the entire community.

“He always helped people. That’s his characters that will be his legacy even on the last day he was helping somebody,” he said.

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