THOMASVILLE- The weekend was a busy one for the Thomas County Sheriff’s Office, who responded to two separate shooting incidents, involving county employees. 

Friday evening, the TCSO responded to a shooting on Midway Road, which involved an off-duty deputy. 

According to Public Relations Officer Capt. Steve Jones, the deputy was attending a gathering, when a gentleman’s friend, Terry Sloan became irate. Sloan was reportedly intoxicated and had become belligerent when friends at the gathering offered him a ride home. However, Sloan responded by pulling out his firearm and waving it around. 

Although off-duty, the deputy in attendance confronted Sloan, who then shot him twice, before fleeing on foot. 

The deputy was rendered aid, while the TCSO K-9 unit, Georgia State Patrol Aviation Unit and several other deputies from surrounding counties went to search for Sloan. The search lasted approximately three hours before Sloan was apprehended in the woods. 

The deputy remains in stable condition and underwent surgery on Monday to remove the bullets. 

Following a difficult Friday night, the TCSO returned to work on Saturday, where they received a call that a county employee had been shot while mowing the grass on Joiner Road. 

Jones said three suspects, Franklin Bass, Caleb Burns and Joshua Burns were all practicing target shooting in their backyard, despite the fact they did not have a backstop. 

After missing the target, the bullet traveled through the wood line and lodged itself in the employee’s upper thigh. 

“People get mad when we are called to backyard recreational shooting, but if they don’t have a backstop, this is what happens,” Jones said. 

All three individuals have been charged with misdemeanor reckless conduct. The county employee is currently in stable condition, although it is unclear if he has undergone surgery yet.