In a media conference held at the Sheriff’s Office Friday morning, Sheriff Richard Roundtree addressed the officer-involved shooting incident Thursday afternoon on Lumpkin Road, currently being investigated by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
“Yesterday at approximately 4:10 p.m., Crime Suppression Deputies John Tarpley and Dantavion Jones conducted a traffic stop at the Charleston South apartment complex, located at 2119 Lumpkin Rd.,” Roundtree said, presenting a account of the incident, the investigation of which he stressed is still ongoing and evolving.
MORE: Richmond County Sheriff’s Deputy shot
Roundtree said that Tarpley and Jones stopped a white Chevy Impala driven by a Darius Rivera, with Lidija Harvey in the front passenger seat and Harvey’s 5-year-old son in the backseat. Tarpley and Jones, Roundtree says, then engaged Rivera, asking him to exit the vehicle after smelling marijuana coming from inside. Harvey then exited the vehicle, retrieved her five-year-old son from the rear passenger seat and ran and to enter an apartment. Jones chased after Harvey to stop her, and a struggle ensued once she got to the apartment door.
After securing Rivera in the back of a patrol car, Tarpley joined Jones as they struggled to get Harvey into custody.
“Harvey, who had her five-year-old son directly in front of her, then reached into her purse, retrieved a revolver and fired at least one shot, which struck Deputy Tarpley in the upper right chest,” Roundtree said. “Deputy Jones returned fire, striking Harvey at least twice in the leg.”
Roundtree went on to say that Harvey continued to run from the apartment before deputies arrested her a short time later at nearby 2722 Margaret Ct.
Deputy Tarpley was given aid at the scene by deputies and then transported to Augusta University Medical Center where he was treated for gunshot wounds and released later that night. Harvey was also transported to AU Medical Center, treated for her wounds and released that night, and is now being held at the Charles B. Webster Detention Center.
Harvey’s five-year-old son received cuts to his knee from glass, which Roundtree says is presumably came from inside the apartment, requiring some stitches. Roundtree also said that the child did not receive any other injuries that the Sheriff’s Office is aware of, was released later that night to a relative.
Tarpley is at home recovering, and though there is no timeline for when he will be ready to return to duty, Roundtree said the Sheriff’s Office was informed by AU that his “prognosis was good.” Per the standard protocols for officer-involved shooting incidents, both deputies will be placed on administrative leave until the investigation is concluded.
Roundtree also said that Harvey has an extensive criminal history, being currently on probation and parole and wanted on multiple warrants out of Richmond County and the Waynesboro Police Department.
“This was another senseless of act of gun violence by person who by all rights, one, should not be free, much less carrying a firearm,” Roundtree said. “She put deputies at great risk as well as her 5-year-old child. We are truly blessed that no one was killed yesterday.”
As the GBI is conducting the investigation, Roundtree says that it would be agency bringing formal charges, which it plans to release in a statement later today. He also said that both deputies had operating body cameras, but that the GBI is currently investigating the footage.
District Attorney Jared Williams issued a statement denouncing the shooting and gun violence, saying, “I am sickened and saddened by the violence that occurred yesterday afternoon against one of our Richmond County Sheriff’s Deputies while he was doing his job. Our community is fed up with shootings, and now more than ever we need officers who protect our citizens. To turn a gun on one of our peace officers is a vile act of someone with a malignant heart, and any such violence will result in my office using every tool at the disposal of the State to remove you from our community.
“Keep your guns off our officers. Keep your guns off our citizens. We will keep fighting for the soul and safety of our community.”
Skyler Q. Andrews is a staff reporter covering education in Columbia County and business-related topics for The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
