WAYCROSS, Ga. — A Waycross officer accused of firing shots at a car with teenagers inside has resigned, according to the Waycross Police Department.
Lt. Scott Rowell, a 15-year veteran with the department, fired his weapon at the vehicle multiple times while the two teens were still inside., investigators say. Rowell was initially put on paid leave, along with another officer involved in the case.
The incident happened Saturday, Aug. 8, when another Waycross officer saw a traffic violation and tried to get the car's license plate information, according to police reports. The car contained five siblings, all of whom were minors.
Investigators said the officer followed the vehicle for several minutes without turning on his lights or sirens. Three of the five siblings eventually got out of the car when it stopped in their neighborhood at the corner of Walters and Greenwood Streets. They were running home when Rowell fired his gun multiple times, according to witnesses.
The shooting sparked outrage within the community, with many residents demanding the release of bodycam footage from the incident. The GBI said there was no bodycam video.
The mayor of Waycross said he was committed to complete transparency in the case.
“I understand incidents like this create many unanswered questions in the short term, but we must realize that justice requires we work together in good faith to find factual answers,” Waycross Mayor Michael-Angelo James wrote in a statement following the shooting.