Cleveland – A Cleveland man has been sentenced to 30 years in prison after shooting at officers during a chase in Hall County last year.
The incident happened on Jan. 5, 2025, and started at around 3:00 a.m. that morning when 28-year-old Austin Abel fled from Hall County Sheriff’s Office deputies during a traffic stop on Interstate 985 near the beginning of Ga. 365. After he sped away, the sheriff’s office said Abel began firing at deputies, leading to the deputies returning fire.
No one was injured in the shooting, and Abel later crashed on Lula Road, driving into a ditch and flipping his vehicle. He was arrested after a short standoff.
Northeastern Judicial Circuit District Attorney Lee Darragh stated after Abel’s sentencing, “In many years of prosecution, the actions of Austin Abel represent the most serious assault on police officers that I’ve seen in my career,” Darragh said. “That no one was killed or seriously injured, including the defendant himself, was a blessing.”…