Authorities: Gunman sought after deputy shot; vest saved him

Authorities searched Monday for a Texas fugitive they describe as “armed and dangerous” who is accused of shooting a deputy in Dalton, Georgia. The 29-year-old suspect fired numerous gunshots at Whitfield County Sheriff's Deputy Darrell Hackney from inside his vehicle, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said Monday. Hackney was struck, but his ballistic vest saved him, the GBI said in a statement.

Authorities searched Monday for a Texas fugitive they describe as "armed and dangerous" who is accused of shooting a deputy in Dalton, Georgia. The 29-year-old suspect fired numerous gunshots at Whitfield County Sheriff's Deputy Darrell Hackney from inside his vehicle, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said Monday.

Hackney was struck, but his ballistic vest saved him, the GBI said in a statement. The suspect had been hauling a stolen trailer and was pulled over by deputies before the gunfire happened around midnight, authorities said.

Hackney and another deputy returned fire, but the suspect made his getaway by driving south on Interstate 75. He wrecked the truck and escaped into the woods on foot, the GBI said.

The stolen trailer was found along the southbound lanes of I-75, near the Whitfield-Gordon county line, the agency said. State agents were searching for him, saying he's considered armed and dangerous.

Dalton is about 90 miles (145 kilometers) northwest of Atlanta.