Sheriff’s deputy killed in shootout northeast of Atlanta

GAINESVILLE, Ga. (AP) — Authorities searched Monday for suspects after a Georgia sheriff’s deputy was killed in a shootout northeast of Atlanta.

The deputy was killed while exchanging gunfire with a suspect Sunday night, the Hall County Sheriff’s Office said.

One of the suspects, believed to be the shooter, was struck by gunfire and taken to a hospital, Hall County sheriff’s spokesman Derreck Booth said in a news release. His condition was unknown early Monday.

Deputies, with help from Georgia state troopers and Gainesville and Gwinnett County police, were searching for multiple suspects Monday morning, the sheriff’s office said.

The ordeal began with a series of weekend car break-ins and burglaries, authorities said. The slain deputy was among several who were trying to stop a stolen vehicle that’s believed to have been involved in the break-ins. The stolen vehicle crashed and several occupants began running before the gunfire happened, authorities said.

Gainesville is about 50 miles (80 kilometers) northeast of Atlanta.