Lawmen arrest man firing a weapon

Published 3:49 pm Monday, August 5, 2019

VALDOSTA — Lawmen managed to take a man firing a weapon into custody without anyone being hurt Sunday, according to a police statement.

At 10:31 a.m., Valdosta Police Department officers headed to the 400 block of Northside Drive after receiving a call about a man shooting next to the road. Several officers from various law enforcement agencies responded to the area.

Officers said they saw the man walking down the road and ordered him to stop and comply with their orders, police said. 

At first, the man refused and said he wanted officers to hurt him; police continued talking with him and the subject eventually complied, police said in a prepared statement. 

He was taken into custody without incident and his handgun was recovered.

Several witnesses reported seeing the man shooting several rounds while exhibiting erratic behavior, including yelling and cursing, police said.

Edward Layton, 54, of Valdosta was charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon (felony), three counts of simple assault, reckless conduct, discharging a firearm next to a public roadway, discharging a firearm while intoxicated and carrying a concealed weapon without a permit, the police statement said.

“This incident could have turned tragic in many ways. We are extremely proud of our officers using their training and skills to be able to deescalate this situation without anyone being injured,” said police Lt. Scottie Johns.

Terry Richards is senior reporter at The Valdosta Daily Times.