Dead Ends in Athens Search but Police Optimistic

Officers from the Georgia State Patrol, Athens-Clarke County and counties around Georgia stand in groups outside of ACC Police headquarters on Lexington Road as vehicles constantly rotate through the circular entrance.

Police cars come and go. Deliveries from Buffalo's Southwest Cafe and Edible Arrangements drop off much-needed sustenance for the officers. Women pull up in small cars to drop off gallons of sweet tea and cups.

But the officers' serious faces reveal something else is front-and-center on their minds: finding the man who shot two of their own, killing one.

Day three of the search for suspect Jamie Hood, the 33-year-old accused carjacker-turned-gunman, has resulted in new leads and dead ends. Regardless, optimism remains high that Hood will be apprehended.

“Everyone would like to have some closure, but I don't know that anyone's discouraged,” said ACC Police Major Mike Shockley. “I think we all know that the individual will get apprehended.”

Police followed several new leads today, including one related to a residence on Murrell Road in Athens. Police descended on the area and news agencies posted up at the location waiting for word on Hood's possible capture.The lead resulted in a dead end.

Shockley said police are receiving dozens of new leads, as well as developing some on their own.

“There's been just a plethora of things to follow up on,” Shockley said Thursday afternoon. “And we'll continue through the rest of the day and night and however long it takes.”

Hood is accused of shooting 34-year-old Senior Police Officer Elmer “Buddy” Christian around 12:30 p.m. Tuesday after allegedly severely wounding senior police officer Tony Howard at the Cascades on the River apartment complex off Sycamore Drive.

Shockley said the officers on the force are “doing pretty well” through this difficult ordeal. The tragedy has made an impact on everyone involved. “We're being very professional and everyone is hanging in there. ”

Police are fairly confident Hood is still in the area and are focusing most of their efforts in and around Athens, Shockley said. Around 20 different agencies, which are being rotated on and off duty, have signed on board to catch the alleged perpetrator.

Until then, the officers at police headquarters have little to do but wait until their shift begins and they can once again take to the streets to help apprehend Hood.

“We're not discouraged because we know it's a lot of hard work,” Shockley said. “But at any moment we're gonna capture him.”