Two more Suspects in Custody in Connection with Banks Co. Shooting

Two more suspects are in custody in connection with the shooting of a Banks County Sheriff’s deputy last week. 

Monday morning, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation announced the arrests in a press release.

They are 29-year-old Dustin Terrell Heuatt, and 26-year-old James Hall Askew. 

Heuatt is charged with numerous felony counts including aggravated assault on a peace officer, aggravated assault and armed robbery. 

Askew is charged with aiding and abetting. 

The primary suspect, 32-year-old Avery Richard of Atlanta was shot and killed in Atlanta Friday by FBI agents during a shootout. 

Richard was wanted in Banks County after shooting a Sheriff’s deputy last Wednesday.

The deputy was responding to an armed robbery at the Atlanta Dragway in Commerce.

According to the GBI, Richard had stolen a vehicle at gunpoint at the race track.

Banks County deputies attempted to stop the stolen vehicle near the Tanger Outlet Center when Richard fired multiple times at officers before fleeing on foot across I-85.  

A Banks County deputy was struck by a round, but the bullet was stopped by his ballistic vest.  

The deputy was transported to a local hospital for treatment.

Several hours after the Banks County deputy shooting, a female resident of Commerce arrived home to find a suspect matching Richard’s description inside her residence.  

Richard forced the woman at gunpoint to drive him to Atlanta before she was released. 

Then on Friday afternoon, FBI agents tracked Richard to the Holmes Plaza parking lot on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in Atlanta.  

Richard was sitting inside a vehicle when he shot at FBI agents as they tried to take him into custody.  

One agent, a 30-year veteran, was struck in the arm during the shooting and a female passenger, who was in the vehicle with Richard, also received gunshot wounds.