Police Chief Calls Officer's Shooting 'Assassination'

ATHENS, Ga. -- The reward for a man suspected of shooting and killing an Athens police officer and injuring another was increased to $50,000 on Wednesday.

Hundreds of officers from several local and state law enforcement agencies spent Wednesday moing searching areas across Clarke County looking for the suspect in the shooting, 33-year-old Jamie Hood.

"He should be considered as extremely dangerous. Anyone who would shoot down police officers trying to do their job, particularly shoot them in a manner that he did, essentially in an ambush situation," said Athens Clarke County police Chief Joseph Lumpkin at a Wednesday news conference.

"We have over 150 officers committed to the fugitive hunt. These officers have been formed into arrest teams," said Veon Keenan, director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, which is assisting with the search. Keenan encouraged anyone with information about Hood to call 911 immediately.

Lumpkin said Hood initially committed two carjackings, one before the police shootings and one after. Lumpkin said multiple teams are in the field following up different leads. Lumpkin spoke stely about Hood and the shootings.

"It’s assassination, it's ambushing police," he said. He choked back tears when asked about the slain officer’s family.

Crime Stoppers doubled its regular reward of up to $5,000 to $10,000 for information leading to Hood's arrest. The FBI is contributing another $40,000.

A vehicle driven by Hood was found.

The various law enforcement agencies have focused their search for Hood inside the county, where they said he could be hiding.

"We have put the lookout nationwide, but we believe he is probably in our area," said Lumpkin.

Athens-Clarke County police said Hood shot and killed Senior Police Officer Elmer ”Buddy Christian, a veteran of the force.

"He was the epitome of a good person. Just a great person who loved to help people," Lumpkin said.

Senior Police Officer Tony Howard was also wounded but survived. Howard was alert and talking and undergoing treatment at a local hospital, officials said. Family members told Channel 2 that Howard was shot twice.

"Two fine upstanding young men. Two fine young men who devoted their life to service other. Two good-hearted people who epitomized this community policing," said Lumpkin of the officers.

The shooting happened near an apartment complex on Sycamore Drive in Athens on Tuesday.

At about 12:53 p.m., police said, they were investigating an alleged kidnapping and carjacking, in which Hood was named a suspect, that had occurred on Winterville Road.

Police said Howard spotted a vehicle driven by one of Hood's relatives.

When Howard stopped the vehicle, the driver appeared to be compliant, but that's when Hood got out of the vehicle and opened fire on the officer, police said.

Hood fled the scene and encountered more officers, at which point he shot into a police cruiser driven by Christian, fatally wounding the officer, police said.

The parents of Hood spoke to GA Daily News and pleaded with their son to tu himself in.

”I’m begging Jamie to tu himself in. I mean, I don’t want anything to happen to him. They say he killed that officer and shot the other -- that’s wrong. I feel sorry for the family, said Hood’s mother, Azalee Hood.

”I hope he gives himself up, said father Robert Hood. ”Lord have mercy.

A witness who heard shots described them to Channel 2's Manuel Bojorquez.

"It was definitely a large caliber ... it must have killed instantly," said Bobby Billups of the gun he heard.

Channel 2’s Erica Byfield spoke to Howard's cousin outside Athens Regional Medical Center.

”This is terrible, this is sad, Gloria Jones said.

Byfield also spoke to the mayor of Athens-Clarke County.

”Our police department is totally shaken, as I am, as is everyone in the county, said Mayor Nancy Denson.

News Chopper 2 flew over the area and showed officers gathered around a police cruiser with the driver's side window shattered and broken glass in the road.

Police said the vehicle taken in the carjacking was a silver Chevrolet Prism with Georgia license plate 375GHX.

News Chopper 2 also showed another man in handcuffs who was taken into custody. That man was not identified.

Clarke County school officials placed all schools on a soft lockdown immediately after the shooting but let children go home for the day as scheduled. School officials canceled all evening activities because of the incident.

Christian is survived by his wife, son, daughter, parents and one brother.

Howard is the father of four boys. His wife also works in law enforcement.

A Memorial Fund for Christian has been set up at Athens First Bank.

Donation can be dropped off at any branch of Athens First Bank, or you can mail a donation to: Athens First Bank, 150 West Hancock Ave, Athens, GA 30601, with a notation that it is for the fund.