A Georgia sheriff’s deputy who alleged being shot during a traffic stop last month has been arrested after it was discovered that he had fabricated the incident. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation revealed that Austin Bradburn, 26, who served as a deputy in Towns County, falsely claimed on December 13 that he had pulled over a Honda sedan at around 2 a.m. due to the lack of license plates.
According to the GBI, the deputy reported that the driver of the vehicle stopped but then stepped out and approached him, disregarding his instructions. In response, the deputy tried to use a Taser on the individual. However, further investigation revealed that the events as portrayed by Bradburn did not align with the actual circumstances.
As a result, Austin Bradburn was taken into custody for charges related to making false statements and breaching his oath of office in connection to the purported shooting incident. The case serves as a reminder of the importance of integrity and honesty in law enforcement to uphold public trust and the rule of law.
The tasing was “unsuccessful,” and Bradburn and the alleged suspect fought over the deputy’s gun, the deputy said. The deputy was shot several times, and the suspect drove away, leaving behind the gun.
The Towns County Sheriff’s Office requested assistance from the GBI, which arrested Bradburn on multiple counts of false statements and violation of oath of office not only in Towns County, but also in Hall and Union Counties.
The GBI also referred to Bradburn as a “former deputy” but did not say when or why he left the Towns County Sheriff’s Office. The sheriff’s office did not comment except to repost the GBI press release.
Bradburn had been with the department since October.
According to WAGA, a GoFundMe that had been raising money for Bradburn’s recovery has stopped taking donations.
