GBI: Suspect killed in officer involved shooting tried to drown trooper

Authorities have released the names of the two suspects involved in a police chase and officer involved shooting Saturday in Gainesville. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation says the driver of an SUV who was shot and killed was 36-year old Rodrigo Guardiola of Gainesville. His passenger is identified as 31-year old Epitacio Gudino, also of Gainesville.

Captain Mark Perry of the Georgia State Patrol says the two suspects were in a Ford Explorer that made a U turn and fled from a multi-agency road check on GA 53 just south of Oakwood around 8:25 Saturday night. The chase wound its way up I-985 to Industrial Boulevard in Gainesville.

According to a GBI press release, “Troopers boxed in the vehicle to stop the pursuit which resulted in a collision and at which point Guardiola and Gudino ran from the vehicle. As one of the pursuing troopers caught up to Guardiola at a run-off creek, a struggle ensued at which point Guardiola was fighting the trooper and attempting to submerge him underwater. Two additional troopers arrived on scene. One of the troopers fired his Taser at Guardiola with no effective impact, at which point the trooper fired his pistol striking and killing Guardiola.” 

Gudino was captured nearby, approximately 45 minutes later. He’s being held in the Hall County Detention Center on charges related to the incident.

Troopers injured; names not yet released

All three troopers suffered non-life threatening injuries in the wreck and pursuit. They were treated and released from Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville. The GBI says “the involved trooper’s names are not available for release currently.”

“The officers will be okay physically,” says Perry. “It will take a little while probably, mentally and emotionally, to sort out what happened tonight. I will say this, the troopers involved, I know them personally. I know they have a strong faith in God and I know that’s what it’s going to take to get them through it.”

The GBI will conduct an independent investigation to determine what occurred during the incident.  When the investigation is complete, it will be turned over to the District Attorney’s Office for review. The state patrol’s Office of Professional Standards will also conduct an administrative investigation.

Road check suspended

The road check was part of a statewide pre-Fourth of July public safety campaign called Operation Thunder. The program, coordinated by the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety (GOHS), began Thursday. It was supposed to last through the weekend but the Gainesville Times reports that GOHS director Harris Blackwood said Operation Thunder was suspended as soon as the Hall County incident happened. Prior to that, he says the operation had been “very successful.”