Newton Citizen

COVINGTON - A suspected burglar received a close call in the early morning hours Sunday when he sustained a gunshot wound to just two fingers after he was shot at four times with a 9mm handgun, according to an incident report completed by Officer Stanley Moore of the Covington Police Department

According to the report, officers went to Amanda Lane after receiving reports of shots being fired in the neighborhood. Moore said he was flagged down in the driveway of a residence by a man carrying a rifle. Moore said he told the man to place the rifle on the ground and he complied.

The man then told him that he was asleep in his bed when someone kicked his front door open and entered his residence. The man said he grabbed his handgun from underneath his pillow, loaded a magazine into the weapon and ran into the living room where he saw a black man standing in the foyer.

" ... he then fired four shots from his 9mm handgun at the direction in which the black male was standing and during this time the perpetrator fled from the residence," the report states.

The victim then told the officer he next armed himself with a "high-powered German rifle," and ran outside and fired two to three shots into the air.

Officer Moore said he notified Newton Medical Center and Rockdale Medical Center to advise the CPD if they had patients show up to the emergency room for treatment of gunshots.

"Approximately 10 to 15 minutes later, we were advised by dispatch that a black male was in the emergency room with gunshot wounds to his person," the report states.

Upon going to Newton Medical Center, it was discovered that a man was there with a gunshot wound to his "middle and ring ringer on his right hand."

Detectives are continuing to investigate the incident.

Police ask that anyone with information that may be helpful to detectives concerning this case to call the CPD at 770-786-7605. Tips can be given to the CPD anonymously by visiting their Web site at www.covingtonpolice.com and clicking on "contact us" and then "secret witness."

Barbara Knowles can be reached at barbara.knowles@newtoncitizen.com.