Written by: Sam Orlando
Richmond County authorities have identified Augusta Fire Shift Commander Gregory Hartshorne, 52, as the official who ran over a deceased man following a biker-gang shootout, dragging the body for over 50 feet. This incident comes after Hartshorne's arrest in March for obstruction in Columbia County.
According to authorities, Hartshorne was responding to a "mass casualty situation" in East Augusta on Saturday, May 14. He entered the parking lot of West Chatham Emergency Lighting on Prep Phillips Drive when he "failed to see" the victim, Germayne Farrell, lying at the south edge of the parking lot, according to a sheriff's report. Hartshorne claimed that the vehicle's hood and fender obscured his vision, causing him to misjudge Farrell's location.
A witness captured the incident on a live video feed and alerted bystanders and a deputy. Sheriff Richard Roundtree referred to the roll-over incident as a "freak accident" during a Monday press conference on the mass shooting. He explained that Hartshorne was clearing the area for emergency vehicles and didn't see Farrell as he was coming off his path.
The report states that Farrell had already been determined deceased by Hartshorne due to gunshot wounds, but the coroner's office had not yet declared him dead. Farrell was identified as a 51-year-old man from Daytona Beach, Florida.
The body was dragged 51 feet, 10 inches from the point of impact. Lt. Hartshorne was found to have a contributing factor of misjudging clearance in the accident. The Augusta Fire Department has not commented on the accident or Hartshorne's employment status following his arrest in March.
In the prior incident, Hartshorne was arrested on March 30 for obstruction in Columbia County during a Harlem officer's investigation into a domestic incident with his estranged wife. The officer witnessed Hartshorne slap a phone from the woman's hand and become argumentative when asked for identification. It took two officers to detain and handcuff him. His estranged wife did not press charges for simple battery, and the case was dismissed.
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