Investigation clears Richmond County deputy in shooting of suspect
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - An outside review determined a deputy was justified in shooting a suspect last week in front of Glenn Hills Middle School, according to the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputy Sheriff David S. Hopkins shot Brandon Hill on Thursday afternoon after Hill pointed a gun at Hopkins, according to authorities.
It happened after deputies responded to a domestic dispute in the 3500 block of Primrose Drive, where a woman who knew Hill said he’d stolen her gun and left. Hopkins found Hill walking near 2941 Glenn Hills Drive and told him to show his hands, according to investigators.
Instead, Hill pulled out a gun and pointed it at Hopkins, who fired, five times, hitting Hill in the chest, according to investigators.
Hill was transported to Doctors Hospital in critical condition.
As is typical in officer-involved shootings, the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office asked for an outside review.
That investigation was conducted by the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office’s Regional Force Investigation Team and presented to District Attorney Jared Williams.
Williams agreed the shooting was justified, according to the team.
“Our duty is to protect and serve, and with that comes the responsibility of being transparent with the community we serve,” Richmond County Sheriff Eugene Brantley said in a statement. “We appreciate the public’s trust and understanding as we ensure that every incident is thoroughly investigated and that our deputies receive the they need.”
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When the incident happened, he was out on bond for burglary in the first degree. Bond was revoked in November 2024.
There were active bench warrants for him for a traffic case involving a police chase, according to court records.
Hopkins has been with the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office since August 2019, according to officials.
His Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council record shows no sanctions or investigations.
Last January, he was training in the use of deadly force and de-escalation, active-shooter response and tactical firearms skills, going through judgmental simulator training.
Augusta man arrested after shooting injures 1 on Keron Way
The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office says a man has been arrested after a shooting on Keron Way.
According to his POST record, he started his law enforcement career in September 2018 with the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice as a corrections officer.
He ed the Richmond County Sheriff’s office as a jailer in 2019 and became a deputy in June 2021.
It was the CSRA’s second officer-involved shooting in two days.
Early Wednesday, deputies in Aiken County fired after a suspect in a domestic incident pulled out a gun. Neither the suspect nor the deputies were hurt in that incident at the Palisades at Langley Pond apartment complex in Graniteville.
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