Brothers arrested in shooting of 2 deputies near Florida-Georgia border

Two sheriff’s deputies were shot and wounded, one critically, on a Georgia highway Saturday night when two brothers in a vehicle being chased allegedly opened fire with a rifle, authorities said.

One of the brothers, Troy Arthur Phillips, 40, was captured on Sunday following a statewide search, Decatur County Sheriff Wiley Griffin announced on Facebook.

Phillips’ brother, Brad Phillips, 41, was arrested shortly after the shooting that left the Decatur County sheriff’s deputy critically wounded, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

The shooting unfolded when a Decatur County Sheriff’s deputy attempted to assist a Seminole County, Florida, sheriff’s deputy in a chase on U.S. Highway 84 that started in Florida and crossed into Georgia, Griffin said.

During the chase, the occupants of a white Chevrolet pickup the deputies were attempting to stop for speeding and reckless driving opened fire with what investigators believed to be a .30 caliber rifle. The deputies returned fire as the chase continued, investigators said.

“The suspects drove into the driveway of a Decatur County residence and attempted to gain entry by shooting through the door,” according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation statement.

The Decatur County deputy arrived at the scene as the suspects were fleeing the residence in Brinson, Georgia, and one of the brothers allegedly shot the deputy while he was still in his vehicle.

The suspects crashed in a wooded area, according to investigators. Brad Phillips was arrested shortly after the crash, while Troy Phillips was able to flee the scene on foot.

The Decatur County deputy was critically wounded when he was shot underneath his arm, Griffin said.

The deputy, whose name was not released, was taken by a helicopter ambulance in critical condition to Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare, about 50 miles south of Brinson, Griffin said.

Griffin said the Seminole County deputy shot in the incident was treated at a hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.

Brad Phillips was charged with aggravated assault on a peace officer. Charges against his brother were pending.

The shooting occurred when the deputies attempted to stop a vehicle for going 81 mph on the highway, authorities told ABC affiliate station WTXL-TV in Tallahassee.

While the search for Troy Phillips was going on Sunday, Griffin said in a Facebook post that investigators believed he was still in the Brinson area and advised local residents to contact law enforcement officials immediately if he is spotted.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is leading the investigation because it involves law enforcement officers, officials said.