ATHENS-Athens Police Chief Floyd Johnson released a statement concerning a possible home invasion with shots fired on Monday evening January 23:
“Last night shortly before midnight the ambulance service requested officers back them up on a medical call at Willowbrook Apartments on Henry Drive. About three minutes later we received a separate call to a different apartment on Henry Drive about shots being fired. While responding units were arrived in the area Sgt. Eric White was driving north on Henry Drive when several shots was fired at him and his patrol unit. Sgt. White took evasive action and was able to get to safety, he was not injured. Later in the evening Officers and investigators located where shots hit the brick of one apartment units and a window at the middle school across the street from the apartments. No one was in the school at the time of the shooting. From evidence collected there was a total of seven shots from an AR-15 fired several of those toward Sgt. White.
Investigators believe the medical call was unrelated to the shots fired call. The shots fired call came from what we believe to have been a home invasion in a different set of apartments. Officers did locate a back door of one of the apartments that had been kicked in. There were four people in the apartment at the time the door was kicked in; no one in the apartment was injured. It is also believe the one of the offenders in the attempted home invasion saw Sgt. White and fired on him while fleeing the area.
Today investigators continue to question suspects and witnesses. At the present time no one has been charged with the home invasion or shooting at our officer. The investigation is continuing and we will up information as it becomes available.”
