New information on injured deputy suspected of ramming car

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – A 19-year-old man has been charged with hijacking a vehicle and leading officers on a chase that left a deputy seriously injured in a crash.

Authorities say it happened around 1:15 p.m. Thursday at Gordon Highway and Bayvale Road, nearly three hours after Omarion Rayshawn Steward and another person carjacked a 2014 Toyota Camry a few miles away.

From left: Daniel D'Aversa and Melissa Morello

Once officers learned where the car was, they pursued it in a high-speed chase that culminated in the stolen car colliding with a police cruiser, which ultimately also struck another law enforcement cruiser.

According to the organizers of the GoFundme campaign for Brown, Deputy Christopher Brown suffered injuries to his pelvis, arms, jaw, leg and other parts of his body as a result of the incident.

Jail records show Steward was arrested two days later and is being held in the Richmond County Jail on suspicion of aggravated assault of a police officer, armed robbery, carjacking – other weapon, and possession of a firearm or knife during a crime.

According to arrest warrants, the crime spree began around 10:30 a.m. Thursday when the Camry was stolen from 500 Caldwell Drive.

The victim said the Flight Attendant made an appointment to conduct the transaction. Upon arrival, the flight attendant got into the front passenger seat, according to the arrest warrant. At the same time, another person approached, pointing a gun at the victim and swearing.

A Richmond County Sheriff's Office cruiser was rammed by a stolen vehicle, injuring... — A Richmond County Sheriff’s Office cruiser was rammed by a stolen vehicle, injuring a deputy, according to authorities.(WRDW)

The victim got out of the car and fled, at which point, according to the arrest warrant, Steward and the gunman fled in the car.

Brown and other deputies later learned where the car was and tried to recover it in what witnesses described as a high-speed chase.

At least two officers were involved in the incident, including Brown in an apparently unmarked Impala and Nicholas Boyd in a marked Charger. Fourteen Richmond County Sheriff’s Office vehicles were on scene following the crash.

Richmond County Sheriff's Office, Augusta, Ga.

Steward is accused of ramming Impala officers around 1:15 p.m. after deputies apparently surrounded the Camry in the parking lot.

However, the chase apparently didn’t end there, as at 1:20 p.m., Brown’s car and a marked Dodger collided while both were chasing the stolen vehicle, according to the Georgia State Patrol.

Omaron Rayshawn's steward — Omaron Rayshawn’s steward(contribution)

GSP says both law enforcement vehicles were traveling west on Gordon Highway when the Charger drifted into the right lane and attempted to make a U-turn.

According to GSP, the Impala, while traveling in the left lane, struck the left side of the Charger.

Boyd, the driver of the Charger, said he wanted to make a right turn onto Bayvale, but he was speeding and tried to get back into it.

According to... a stolen Camry was used to ram a police car carrying a Richmond County deputy. — Authorities say this stolen Camry was used to ram a police car carrying a Richmond County deputy.(contribution)

According to GSP, four people, including Boyd and Brown, were hospitalized after the incident.

Brown’s injuries were apparently the most serious.

Brown has worked for the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office since 2010, state accreditation records show, serving as a corrections officer, jailer, peace officer, investigator and deputy.

READ THE DEPUTY’S ACCREDITATION FILE:

He is a veteran who served in the military and was injured in Afghanistan, according to the organizers of the GoFundMe campaign, which raised nearly $12,000.

There is no information on the status of the second carjacking suspect.