A man who allegedly fired shots at a woman and then drove a vehicle into a Catoosa County deputy was shot and killed by law enforcement on Sunday night. He was identified as Dameion Coonrod, 32, of Chattanooga.
According to Catoosa County Sheriff Gary R. Sisk at approximately 10:25 p.m., Catoosa County Sheriff's Office deputies responded to a call on Karen Drive regarding reports of shots fired and a female screaming.
Upon arrival, deputies encountered a black male in the driveway beside a running vehicle. The suspect began to resist law enforcement officers, including a Georgia State Patrol Trooper who had arrived on the scene, it was stated.
A taser was deployed but was ineffective. The suspect fled into the residence, exited through a side door, and attempted to reverse his vehicle out of the driveway. As the suspect reversed, a deputy was positioned in the doorway and was struck by the vehicle.
Sheriff Sisk said, "In response to the imminent danger posed by the suspect’s actions, law enforcement officers discharged their firearms to stop the vehicular assault and protect the deputy."
The deputy who was struck by the vehicle was treated at a local hospital and has since been released. The suspect was transported to Erlanger Hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) is handling the investigation into this incident.
As is standard protocol, the deputies involved in the incident have been placed on administrative leave.
Sheriff Sisk "expressed his gratitude for the professionalism shown by the officers involved and asks for the community's patience as the GBI conducts a thorough investigation into the events of that night."
The GBI gave this account of the incident:
On December 15, 2024, at about 10:25 p.m., Catoosa County Sheriff’s Office deputies and a Georgia State Patrol trooper responded to a 911 call about someone shooting a gun outside. The deputies met with the 911 caller and determined that the shooting occurred at the house behind the 911 caller. The deputies and trooper arrived at the home located in the 600 block of Karen Drive in Ringgold, GA, and confronted Dameion Coonrod. Dameion Coonrod attempted to leave the scene in a Genesis SUV. A deputy deployed his Taser to stop Dameion Coonrod. Dameion Coonrod attempted to drive away while the deputy position by the SUV. The deputy fired his gun, and the other deputy and trooper shot into the SUV, shooting Dameion Coonrod. After the shooting, the SUV continued to travel into the front yard, hitting a tree and the house. A firearm was located inside of the SUV.
There was a woman in the front passenger seat of the SUV. She was not injured during the incident.
Dameion Coonrod was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. The body will be taken to the GBI Medical Examiner’s Office where an autopsy will be performed.
The deputy was taken to a local hospital and was treated for his injuries and released.
The GBI will conduct an independent investigation. Once complete, the case file will be given to the Catoosa County (Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit) District Attorney’s Office for review.