The police chief in Peachtree City, Georgia is on administrative leave after his wife was shot. 57-year-old William McCollom told the 911 dispatcher he accidentally fired his service weapon in the early morning hours of New Year’s Day.
The police chief in Peachtree City, Georgia has been placed on administrative leave after his wife was shot. 57-year-old William McCollom told the 911 dispatcher he accidentally fired his service weapon in the early morning hours of New Year’s Day.
Reportedly, McCollom initially said he mistakenly shot his wife, Margaret, twice but a law enforcement probe into the incident revealed she was shot only once.
Sherry Lang, a spokeswoman for the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, confirmed the incident occurred in the bedroom of the couple’s shared home. Following the shooting, a helicopter was dispatched to transport the victim to Atlanta Medical Center, where her condition was listed as critical.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is now leading the probe. Fayette County District Attorney Scott Ballard explained “We have no leanings one way or the other at this point because we just don't know. As soon as all the facts are known they'll turn over a file to our office, and we'll review to see if in fact there's been any criminal activity.”
Margaret has, as of yet, not spoken to police about what happened and there are no other known witnesses. McCollom was officially named the Chief of Police in October of last year.
A police spokesperson said the investigation has not revealed any other disciplinary markings on his file during his over 20-year long career in law enforcement.