Augusta, GA
Colleagues pulling for injured deputy, who’s always loved the job
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Richmond County Deputy Kenneth Mercer is still fighting for his life after a shooting in downtown Augusta in the middle of a busy day.
And he has plenty of support, from colleagues past and present, state leaders and city leaders.
What comes to mind most about him is his dedication to the job.
“He was just thorough at what he did,” said Victor Cuyler, a former co-worker who’s now chief of police in Sandersville. “He was just thorough at what he did.”
Mercer was injured after deputies first responded to Ellis Street just after 11:30 a.m. Saturday. They were called about a suspect with a gun, later identified as 36-year-old Duterval Sejor.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation says deputies found him in an enclosed area of a business.
The GBI says Sejor exchanged gunfire with deputies while they were trying to get him to surrender.
Sejor was fatally shot in the encounter.
Mercer was still in the hospital Monday with unknown injuries.
Mercer’s family says this is a very trying time for them, and right now they are not ready to speak about it.
But lots of people who know Mercer have posted on social media to show their, love and support for him.
William Linton says he’s been a friend of Mercer for 20 years.
Linton describes Mercer as a family man, a friend to anyone who knew him.
That’s a phrase that continues to echo.
OTHER REACTION:
- Augusta Mayor Garnett Johnson asked members of the public to “please keep Deputy Kenneth Mercer and the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office in your thoughts and prayers.”
- City of Augusta spokeswoman Danielle Harris said: “The officer and the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office are in our thoughts and prayers.”
- Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp tweeted: “We join his loved ones and the entire law enforcement community in asking God to keep him stable and on the road to recovery.”
From his kind heart to infectious smile, he always makes everyone feel at ease.
Other online posts describe him as a great deputy, saying he’s a man who loves his job protecting the CSRA.
Before joining the Richmond County Sheriffs Office, Mercer worked about an hour away at the Sandersville Police Department.
At the time, he worked alongside Cuyler.
Cuyler says when you become a police officer, you’re taught early on that the standard work environment is always unpredictable.
He says some will follow the law and others won’t.
He says no matter the situation, during the three years they worked together, Mercer always had a smile on his face, and it’s one of the most important characteristics.
“The most important thing, one of the key things, is the fact that he loved what he did. So whenever you find a police officer who just just loved being a police is always a good thing, because, you know, you people need to be in career feels that they really want to do, and Ken Mercer was the one,” Cuyler said.
Copyright 2023 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
Augusta, GA
2 young males dead after boat overturns in Screven County
SYLVANIA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Two young males are dead after their boat overturned while fishing, according to the Screven County Sheriff’s Office.
According to a press release, around 12:45 p.m. on Wednesday, emergency services received a call about a boat overturning in a pond off Poor Robin Road.
Upon arrival, deputies spoke with a young adult male who was located at the scene. The male reported he had been in a boat with two other young males fishing when their boat overturned.
The young male was treated for his injuries and released, according to officials.
Additional agencies arrived on the scene including the Screven County Marine Rescue Squadron and several local scuba divers.
“After an extensive 5-hour search, in 46-degree water, the bodies of the remaining two young males were located in the pond,” said Sheriff Norman Royal.
The investigation into the circumstances that led up to these deaths is still ongoing, but no foul play is suspected at this time, according to officials.
Screven County EMS, Screven County Fire, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Effingham County Fire and Bulloch County Sheriff’s Office, also assisted in the response.
Sheriff Royal sends his thoughts and prayers to the families of these two young men and thanks all agencies that assisted and made their recovery possible.
Copyright 2025 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
Augusta, GA
WATCH: Gun comes out during fight at Butler High, video shows
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – A weapon was seized by school administrators after the apparent gun fell to the floor during a fight between students Tuesday at Butler High School.
Parents were told of the incident in a letter.
“Two students engaged in a fight in a classroom today during a class,” the letter stated. “During the altercation, students saw a weapon drop to the floor.”
The Richmond County School System didn’t address what kind of weapon it was, but a video on Facebook showed what appeared to be a gun.
Administrators and Richmond County School System police responded immediately and secured the school for about 45 minutes while police investigated, parents were told.
The student was taken into custody and the incident was addressed following the Code of Student Conduct and Discipline.
Copyright 2025 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
Augusta, GA
Police arrest suspect in Grovetown apartment complex shooting
GROVETOWN, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – A suspect has been arrested in connection to an apartment complex shooting in Grovetown, officials announced Wednesday morning.
Isaiah Bautista, 20, of Augusta, was located near Windsor Spring Road and Meadowbrook Drive, still riding in the suspect vehicle that was observed fleeing the scene of the earlier shooting, Grovetown Police Department says.
Bautista had a firearm at the time of his arrest and had multiple outstanding felony warrants through both Richmond County and Reidsville, Ga., police say.
Bautista was transported to the Charles B. Webster Detention Center on the outstanding warrants. Additional warrants will be secured by Grovetown Investigators for his charges regarding tonight’s shooting.
This investigation continues as investigators are working to identify the second suspect.
The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office assisted in apprehending Bautista.
The Grovetown Police Department says they received a 911 call Tuesday at 5:02 p.m. about a shooting at the 1000 block of Joiner Circle in Joiner Crossing Apartments in Grovetown.
Police Chief Jamey Kitchens told us he was on the scene around 5:34 p.m.
When officers arrived they discovered a male victim suffering from a gunshot wound to the upper chest.
Officials say the victim was conscious when they arrived and is in a local hospital in surgery. He does not appear to have life-threatening injuries.
He tells us two unknown males entered the apartment, and one of the suspects fired several rounds hitting the victim once.
Officials used local cameras and doorbell cameras to capture the suspects fleeing on foot to a nearby vehicle and exiting the complex.
One of the suspects was wearing a mask and both were wearing dark-colored hoodies.
Multiple people were in the home at the time, including an infant who was within a few feet of the victim when he was shot. No other parties were injured.
They have a loose vehicle description and several leads are being pursued, according to Kitchens.
The victim was not a resident of the home where the incident occurred.
Kitchens wants the community to know that there is no danger to the community and that this appears to be a targeted attack.
A witness said she saw 17 police cars on the scene around 6 p.m. and that it appeared officers were searching up and down some nearby railroad tracks.
Police were clustered around one apartment in particular. The door was open and crime scene tape hung outside the entry.
Around 6:30 p.m., police brought out a child car seat and a diaper bag. The significance of those items wasn’t clear.
The incident comes amid an outbreak of violent crime that’s claimed about 200 lives in nearly three years across the CSRA.
The crime outbreak has affected communities large and small, but as the biggest city in the region, Augusta has been hit especially hard.
Authorities have blamed much of the problem on gangs.
We are working to learn more information about the incident.
Copyright 2025 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
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