Carlisle Speaks on Injured Officers

Lavonia Police Chief Bruce Carlisle speaks further after two of his department’s officers were shot and injured on Monday night during a traffic stop.

“Yesterday was a terrible day for law enforcement in the state of Georgia,” said Carlisle on Tuesday. “Four officers were shot yesterday in the state of Georgia. This has to end. I do not know what the answer is, but it has to end somewhere.”

At a press conference Tuesday morning, Chief Carlisle identified one of the officers shot as Lavonia Police Captain Michael Schulman, age 50, a 15-year veteran of the Lavonia Police Department. He is married with two children.

Carlisle said Captain Schulman is in ICU in Greenville Memorial Hospital.

Carlisle said Schulman was shot in the upper arm under his vest. His condition was not immediately available.

Carlisle said the other officer is identified as Officer Jeffrey Martin, age 22, of Toccoa.

Martin is married to Dr. Lindsey Martin and has only been with the Lavonia Police Department for about three months.

Martin suffered a gunshot wound to the hand and will need surgery, according to the Chief.

Chief Carlisle said the officers and their families have the full support of His office and the City of Lavonia.

“My heart goes out to them,” said Carlisle. “My heart goes out to their families. I can vow to them, I can vow to everyone we will do everything that we need to do for those officers, for their families. We will do everything we need to do for the remaining officers in my agency to make sure that everyone is able to receive any type of grief counseling that they need. That is my vow. That is the city’s vow. It is a sad day, but we will survive. We will thrive. We will learn from it. We will move forward. If there are changes that we need to make, we will make those changes.”

22 year old Khari Anthony Dashaun Gordon of Greenville was arrested and charged with the shooting after around a 3-hour manhunt late Monday night.

The officers were shot after stopping Gordon at the Zaxby’s on Highway 17 in Lavonia regarding him driving a stolen vehicle.