Ringgold – A Dallas, Texas man wanted for shooting an East Ridge police officer on Sunday, is deceased after a lengthy standoff and several shootouts with Georgia law enforcement officers early Monday morning.
Catoosa County Sheriff Gary Sisk said in a press release that Catoosa County 911 received a lookout at about 2:00 p.m. Sunday, for a man later identified as 42-year-old Christopher John Kitts, who was wanted in connection with shooting the East Ridge police officer. Law enforcement officers located Kitts’s abandoned vehicle in the Lynnwood Subdivision of the Rossville community at about 3:00 p.m. Officers from multiple Georgia and Tennessee agencies began searching for Kitts.
A K-9 unit tracked Kitts into a wooded area near Old Lakeview Drive and Black Branch Creek, where the suspect later began shooting at the pursuing officers. Law enforcement returned fire, but no one was struck during the exchange. Sheriff Sisk said Kitts continued firing periodically with a high-powered rifle at the officers and an aerial drone that was surveilling the area. As darkness of the evening approached Kitts began to move through the wooded area and was able to elude capture.
Sheriff Sisk said Kitts was tracked for 11 hours by up to 45 officers through a 168-acre, heavily wooded area with air support, tactical teams and officers on the ground from multiple local, state and federal agencies. Sheriff Sisk said Kitts continued to fire his weapon in the direction of approaching officers as they pursued him.
In a late morning press conference on Monday, Sheriff Sisk said the search for Kitts was hampered by extremely dense brush and canopy. At one point during the search, Sisk said, law enforcement officers with night vision goggles were within eight feet of the man and couldn’t see him.
Sheriff Sisk said the tracking of Kitts was deliberate, as he was concerned about the lack of visibility and potentially having law enforcement officers caught in a cross-fire.
Troopers with a Georgia State Patrol SWAT unit eventually gained a tactical advantage and engaged Kitts in a wooded area behind a residence on Glade Road in the Rossville community. Sheriff Sisk said Kitts refused to follow lawful commands and again tried to shoot at law enforcement officers with a pistol. Officers returned fire and Kitts was shot and succumbed to his injuries.
“Thanks to the support from multiple Georgia, Tennessee and federal law enforcement officers, we were able to prevent Kitts from eluding capture,” said Sheriff Sisk. “We appreciate everyone’s efforts to work together and prevent an already bad situation from escalating even further.”
When asked to characterize the effort of law enforcement personnel involved in the operation to find the suspect in the heavily wooded area, Sheriff Sisk said it was “unprecedented.”
“Local, state and federal officers under a unified command had a common goal; to make sure the threat didn’t get out into the community and that all (law enforcement) went home safe,” he said.
“I’m extremely proud of all of them.”
