A tragedy in Chambers County occurred earlier this week when 54-year-old Coweta County Georgia Fire Chief James Bartholomew Cauthen decided to lend a helping hand to a couple in need.
According to the Chambers County Sheriff’s Department and WRBL, on Sunday afternoon, Chief Cauthen was on property he owned or maintained, spreading hay for cattle. When he left the property sometime before 5:00 p.m., he saw a vehicle that had struck a deer. The driver and his wife were still in the vehicle, so he stopped to help. The three were unable to call for help in the remote area due to poor cell phone service, so the men decided to walk for assistance. The wife remained in the car.
The men, walking along Road 267 in Chambers County, approached the home of William Randall Franklin, 33, to seek help. Allegedly, without warning, Franklin opened fire on Cauthen and the driver. Chambers County Chief Deputy Mike Parrish told WRBL that the shooting was one of the most heartbreaking and bizarre cases he had seen in his 30-year career.
Cauthen was well thought of by his fellow firefighters.
“Coweta County Fire Rescue continues to be devastated by the tragic passing of Battalion Chief Bart Cauthen,” the Coweta County Fire Rescue Department said in a statement on Facebook. “Cauthen has been with our department for more than 24 years. He was an amazing, hard-working man with a gentle soul. Just like many of you, we have many questions as we navigate through this horrible tragedy. Our hearts and prayers go out to Cauthen’s family, friends, and our brothers and sisters in the Fire Rescue family who worked closely with him. We want to thank all of the agencies who have reached out to us to offer condolences, as well as our community. Coweta County is always there to support our agency. We will get through this together.”
Authorities say both men were struck. The armed driver returned fire, wounding Franklin. Chief Cauthen tried to leave, but he collapsed into a ditch. Unfortunately, he passed away before help arrived. The injured driver is expected to recover. The driver’s wife was uninjured during the shootout, having never left the car.
Franklin will face a murder charge upon his release from Piedmont Medical Center.
