MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. — Georgia State Patrol Trooper Daniel McMullen happened to be in the right place at the right time Wednesday morning.

McMullen, son of Baldwin County Manager Ralph McMullen, was heading to Warren County to begin his official tour of duty when he encountered a man shooting a gun from a moving car.

The incident, which happened at 6:36 a.m. near the intersection of Ga. Route 22 and Lake Laurel Road on the outskirts of Milledgeville, led to the arrest of a Milledgeville man.

The incident also sent several deputies with the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office as well as officers from the Milledgeville Police Department to the scene to assist the young trooper.

Sgt. Ed Starling, acting GSP commander of the Milledgeville post, said McMullen saw a front seat passenger in a Honda Accord shooting a handgun out of a car window.

“He (McMullen) was going to turn left on Lake Laurel and go out toward Warren County,” Starling said. “While driving he looks up ahead and sees somebody hang a pistol out of a window and begins firing.” 

The suspect, later identified as Ladre’quous Anderson, fired multiple rounds at an embankment on the side of the roadway, Starling told The Union-Recorder.

“The driver of the car and the three occupants inside apparently didn’t know that Trooper McMullen was behind them at the time of the shooting,” Starling said. “Of course, he (McMullen) doesn’t turn, he goes up there and makes a traffic stop.”

After pulling over the driver of the car, McMullen took no chances. He drew his state-issued handgun out of its holster and ordered all four of the occupants to place their hands out the windows of the car, according to the local acting GSP post commander.

When McMullen saw the passenger shooting, he had no way of knowing what was going to happen next, Starling pointed out.

“They never offered any violence toward him (McMullen), whatsoever,” Starling said. “It was just a misdemeanor act.”

McMullen, who earlier had requested assistance from other law enforcement officers after he witnessed the gunfire, waited on local deputies and police officers to arrive.

“They (occupants in the car) complied, and he got them all out, and placed them into custody,” said Starling, noting that he received a telephone call from Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Lee Williamson about 6:45 a.m. about the incident.

All four of the occupants in the car were later taken to the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office where they were questioned by authorities.

Anderson was the only one formally charged in the incident.

Authorities retrieved a Glock 26 handgun from the car, which is believed to have been the weapon used in the incident. Starling said the gun had a 30-round magazine.

Starling said Anderson was charged with one count of reckless conduct and one count of discharging a firearm near a roadway.

“He (Anderson) was a front seat passenger,” Starling said. “Unfortunately for them, they picked the wrong time and the wrong place.”

The other three people in the car were not charged and allowed to freely leave the sheriff’s office.

“He (McMullen) did an excellent job; there’s no doubt about that,” Starling said of the rookie trooper’s action.