Four members of the Gwinnett County, Georgia, SWAT team were wounded on Sunday (01/14) when they stormed a house to arrest a suspect. The incident began late on Saturday when police where called about a man, identified as 41-year-old Hoarce D. Trammell, Jr., was "acting strangely." At just before midnight, Forsyth County Sheriff's deputies spotted Trammell's pickup truck and a chase ensued. The chase was called off when deputies saw that Trammell was driving dangerously.
A short time later, another deputy spotted Trammell's vehicle. Trammell fired a shotgun at the officer in the car. The shotgun blast struck the patrol car's window. The deputy was not hurt. Trammell fled to his nearby home. Forsyth County called Gwinnett County for assistance. Gwinnett County responded with a SWAT team and a helicopter.
When officers surrounded the home, they attempted to establish contact with the subject, but he did not respond. Attempts were tried by calling the home on the phone and by using a loudspeaker. Tear gas was lobbed into the dwelling and subject still did not emerge or make contact for about five hours. A Forsyth County officer said, "The guy absolutely would not make contact with us over a four-to-five hour period."
It is decided that the Gwinnett County SWAT team would storm the house. As soon as officers hit the door they encountered gunfire. Four officers were hit in the shootout. One officer was shot in the knee, one in the hip, one in the leg and the fourth received a wound to the leg and burns. Trammell was shot in the hand by officers and arrested.
Reportedly, at one point during the final confrontation, police fired more tear gas into the house and a fire was started. During the fire, ammunition stored inside of the house detonated. The Police Chief of Gwinnett County said about his officers and the shootout, "I don't know of anything they could have done differently." This incident happened near Atlanta, Georgia.