Township Drive Deputy Involved Shooting
Emelia Alys Blehm |
Leila Sierra Duncan |
(Paulding County, GA) On October 5, 2017 at approximately 3:22 PM Deputies with the Warrants Division of the Paulding County Sheriff’s Office responded to 288 Township Drive Hiram, GA 30141 (Paulding County) to serve an arrest warrant. Initially, Deputies were looking for a female suspect that they had information was staying at the residence. The homeowner confirmed that the female, who has been identified as Lelia Sierra Duncan (W/F, 27 YOA) (Wanted for Trafficking Methamphetamine (F), Probation Violation (F), and Obstruction (M) had been at the residence within the past couple of days. While at the residence, they also confirmed that one of the residents at the home, Brandon Lee Bohanan (W/M, 35 YOA), had two different warrants for Probation Violation. Bohanan had a Probation Violation warrant (Original Charge: Criminal Trespass) out of Paulding County and a Probation Violation warrant (Original Charge: Theft by Deception and Forgery) out of Gwinnett County.
When Deputies arrived on scene the door to the home was open and they announced their presence and made contact with the homeowner inside the home. Deputies went inside the residence looking for Duncan and Bohanan. Eventually, Deputies made their way downstairs to the basement where Bohanan was known to stay. When they got to the room in the basement, they encountered a heavily fortified locked door which they knew from previous experience could only be locked from the inside. Deputies announced their presence and identified themselves for a significant amount of time prior to attempting to make entry into the room. Deputies then got a “ram” and began trying to get the door open in order to get into the room. After many attempts, the Deputies still could not breach the door. Finally, Deputies got a more substantial “ram” and were able to get the door open. At approximately 4:34 PM Deputies made entry into the dark room where they encountered Bohanan and a female subject, later identifed as Emelia Alys Blehm (W/F, 36 YOA). Deputies gave commands for the pair to show their hands and to get on the ground. Blehm immediately complied with Deputies commands and Bohanan came toward Deputies in an aggressive manner and would not show them his hands. Deputy David Martin, of the Sheriff’s Office Warrants Division, ultimately fired one round striking Bohanan and fatally wounding him. Deputies immediately rendered aid to Bohanan, but they were unable to save him. Bohanan’s body was later turned over to the Paulding County Coroner who took him to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) Crime Lab in Atlanta for an autopsy.
After checking dispatch records, Deputies have responded to 288 Township Drive Hiram, GA 30141 approximately 100 times for various types of calls for service since 2004. Duncan was not located at the residence and is still at large. Jacob Lee James Barkwell (W/M, 32 YOA), who was also at the residence during the incident, was arrested on unrelated charges.
Deputy David Martin has been in law enforcement for nearly ten years and has been with the Paulding County Sheriff’s Office since February 24, 2014. Deputy Martin will be on routine paid administrative leave while the GBI conducts their investigation into this incident.
During the course of this incident, multiple individuals were inside the residence, two of which were arrested by Deputies for various offenses:
- Emelia Alys Blehm Obstruction (M)
- Jacob Lee James Barkwell Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon (F) Giving False Name and DOB (M)
Dick Donovan, District Attorney, Paulding Judicial Circuit Update: Brandon Lee Bohanan
On Thursday, October 5, 2017, Brandon Lee Bohanan was fatally shot in an incident involving the Paulding County Sheriff's Office deputies attempting to serve warrants for alleged probation violations. Both the Paulding County Sheriff and the Georgia Bureau of Investigations’ Special Agent in Charge were immediately in contact with the District Attorney. The GBI is now handling all aspects of the investigation into the shooting. The GBI’s SAC estimates the investigation will be completed in approximately forty- five to sixty days and the Georgia Crime lab reports in sixty to ninety days. After all statements and investigative reports have been completed and reviewed, and pursuant to O.C.G.A. § 15-12- 100, I will ask the Judges of the Superior Court, Paulding Judicial Circuit, to call, impanel and charge a Special Purpose Grand Jury to review all the evidence, including records, photographs, and correspondence, subpoena and receive testimony from any and all witnesses, and make its recommendations to the District Attorney regarding further proceedings.
Until the GBI’s investigation is concluded and the Special Purpose Grand Jury has completed its assigned tasks and made its recommendations to the District Attorney, further comment from this office is not appropriate.
Any inquiries regarding the investigation into this incident will need to be made through the GBI Public Affairs Office in Atlanta.