The men refused to stop and shot at the police who were chasing them, who responded to the fire, GBI said in a press release. Decatur county deputies later joined the chase.
The suspects entered the garage of a house and “tried to enter by shooting through the door”, but left after the owner of the house responded to the fire, according to the statement.
One of the suspects then shot a policeman from Decatur County who was arriving at the scene, GBI said. The deputy was taken to a local hospital for surgery and is in critical condition.
The suspects fled in their truck, which they destroyed “shortly afterwards in a wooded area,” the statement said. A Georgia State Patrol helicopter and its crew joined the hunt after the shipwreck.
One of the suspects, identified as Brad Phillips, 41, was taken into custody without further incident, GBI said in the statement. He was charged with aggravated assault on a peace officer.
GBI identified the second suspect as Troy Arthur Phillips. He was arrested and is in police custody.
Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly identified where the chase started. It all started in Seminole County, Georgia.