Bomb Maker Dies In Shootout That Kills GA Deputy During Traffic Stop, 1 Injured

GEORGIA — A seemingly compliant traffic stop turned deadly when a suspect opened fire on three Georgia deputies, killing one of them and injuring another, authorities said. The suspect also died in the shootout.

The fatal shooting happened around 6:15 p.m. Saturday on I-20 eastbound between mile markers 193 and 194, west of the Belair Road exit near Augusta.

James Blake Montgomery had been driving a motor home, where bombs were later found, and was the subject of the traffic stop, Columbia County Sheriff Clay Whittle said during a press conference held Sunday.

Columbia County deputies were attempting to serve Montgomery with a temporary order for domestic violence at the time of the traffic stop, Whittle said.

Montgomery initially appeared to be cooperative and non-threatening, being told by deputies that he could leave once he was served, Whittle said.

But that changed when the deputies turned to walk away from the motor home. Montgomery was accused of brandishing a converted 9-millimeter AR pistol, which Whittle said he had turned into a fully automatic weapon.

As the deputies headed back to their patrol cars, Whittle said Montgomery shot two of them, killing one deputy and injuring another.

The third deputy, who was not hurt, was able to retrieve an AR from a patrol car and return fire toward Montgomery, alongside a fourth deputy who had been traveling on I-20 west, Whittle said.

"I think that they are the ones who brought this fight to an end," he said.

Montgomery had been attempting to flee in the motor home, but as he was driving away, Whittle said the deputies fired and the home began to veer off the road. The motor home crashed into a set of wires and came to a stop, Whittle said.

Montgomery was ultimately found dead in the motor home, but Whittle said an autopsy performed by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation would confirm a cause of death.

Deputy Brandon Sikes, whose wife works for the Columbia County Sheriff's Office, was pronounced dead at the scene, Whittle said.

The third deputy dragged the injured deputy, who had been shot once in the face, to a patrol car and took him to a hospital, Whittle said. The sheriff added medical staff said this possibly saved the injured deputy's life.

The injured deputy was able to use his hands and feet, which Whittle said he has been told shows a good sign, but the deputy had to have surgery. He was "alive but critical" after the shooting, Whittle said.

Recovery will be a long process for the deputy who was injured, he said.

"It's gonna be a long road for him, but he is very upbeat and incredibly strong, and we hope that he comes back to full duty in record time," Whittle said.

Sikes, who died in the shooting, was a crime suppression officer at the sheriff's office.

"Unfortunately, we're going to have to have a funeral for a very brave officer who has been with us since 2018," Whittle said. "... It's going to be a difficult time for the sheriff's office, but we're going to get through this."

At the scene, drones and robots were utilized to discover bomb material in Montgomery's motor home, Whittle said.

Montgomery was accused of having pipe bombs, one of which was rigged with a switched, in the home. Bomb squads spent several hours breaching the home and disarming the bomb, Whittle said.

Four cylinders filled with propane were located in a compartment under the motor home, and Whittle said several handguns were found in the home alongside magazines for the pistol and ammunition.

Clear jars with liquid and pipes coming out of them were also located, Whittle said. The sheriff surmised the fluid may have been bomb-making material or used for Montgomery's illegal steroid sales.

At the news conference, Whittle advocated for change in mental health response, saying law enforcement regularly faces the mental health crisis.

"There's a lot of people who can't function in society, and they're obviously a danger to society. Mr. Montgomery was one of those people," Whittle said.

"We've got to stop this. This kind of mental health issue is not a place for jails, and it's not a place for homeless people on the street. It's a place that needs to be addressed by the medical community and our elected officials that fund those types of things here in the state of Georgia and across the nation."

The Regional Force Investigation Team - comprised of deputies from Columbia, Richmond and Burke counties - are overseeing the probe into the fatal traffic stop and shooting.