A domestic disturbance on Augusta’s Sterling Ridge Drive escalated into gunfire Sunday afternoon, deputies say, when a man identified as Clarence Ruffin fired at least one round in the direction of a victim before being taken into custody. No injuries were reported, according to deputies, and the suspect was taken into custody quickly.
The shooting happened on Sept. 6, according to the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, which said the domestic disturbance turned into a violent encounter before deputies took Ruffin into custody. The investigation remains active, per the report, and further details about what led to the confrontation have not been released.
Even without physical injuries, the alleged act of firing a gun toward another person during a domestic dispute carries serious legal weight under Georgia law. Under O.C.G.A. § 16-5-21, discharging a firearm at another person constitutes felony aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, a charge that does not require proof of injury and can carry a sentence of one to 20 years in prison, according to Justia Law. Separately, Georgia law imposes a mandatory consecutive five-year prison sentence for possessing or using a firearm during a violent felony under O.C.G.A. § 16-11-106.
Part of a Violent Stretch for Richmond County Deputies
The Sterling Ridge Drive shooting adds to a run of high-risk weapon calls handled by Richmond County law enforcement in recent weeks. On Sept. 3, deputies searched for a gunman who fired at officers responding to a separate assault call elsewhere in Augusta, an incident Hoodline reported left no officers injured…