‘Armed and dangerous’ Texas fugitive, 29, sparks manhunt after shooting Georgia deputy

Police in Georgia are hunting for two men considered ‘armed and dangerous’ who shot and wounded a sheriffs deputy before crashing their stolen trailer and running off into the woods.

Dalton Lee Potter, 29, was wanted in Texas when he was pulled over in a white Chevrolet Tahoe, pulling a stolen utility trailer, in Whitfield County, Georgia, on Sunday evening.

Potter opened fire on Deputy Darrell Hackney, who was saved only by his bulletproof vest.

Potter, from Leakey, Texas, then sped off in the stolen trailer, crashing it on I-75 South. 

A second man, Jonathan Hosmer, 47, also from Leakey, was captured on a home surveillance system in a subdivision near the truck wreck.

Both men are now being sought by police – with Potter being seen taking off into the woods.

Hosmer was wanted in Texas for burglary. 

Potter has been charged with aggravated assault on the deputy; Hosmer has not yet been charged but an arrest warrant has been issued for him.

‘Potter is considered armed and dangerous and a ‘Blue Alert’ has been issued for Potter’s capture,’ the Georgia Bureau of Investigations said. 

Scott Chitwood, Whitfield County sheriff, said the deputy was treated at a hospital and is now at home. 

‘Thank goodness that his vest protected it,’ said Chitwood. 

‘He was treated and released at the hospital last night. Had a burning sensation, little abrasion, but overall fine, right below the rib cage.’

Local residents are assisting police, WRCBtv reported.

John Locklear, who lives near the crash site, said he told police he had seen him on Monday morning.

‘He walked, went down that road, went over the railroad tracks and went that way, I said about five minutes ago,’ Locklear said. 

‘I looked at him and he turned his head, he didn’t want me to look at his face. 

I said, well, there’s something weird about that. So I got back here and checked my stuff out to see if anything was missing. 

‘But they said he was armed,’ Locklear added.

Chitwood said eyewitness reports have helped them narrow their search, which was filmed by Fox5 Atlanta.

‘One of the neighbors gave the description, we felt like it was legitimate, we focused on that area. 

‘But we’ve come up with nothing at this point. We did come up with a pack of fresh cigarettes we felt like possibly could be his,’ Chitwood added.

It’s unclear why Potter came to Georgia.