Fire chief James Bartholomew Cauthen killed in shooting after helping driver who hit deer

A well-regarded Alabama fire chief who stopped to help a driver that hit a deer was killed when a homeowner opened fire on the pair Sunday night, according to authorities.

Coweta County Fire Battalion Chief James Bartholomew Cauthen and the driver involved in the accident were walking up a driveway near County Road 276 in Chambers County around 5 p.m. looking for help when William Randall Franklin began to allegedly shoot at the pair without warning, authorities told WRBL on Monday.

Cauthen, 54, and the driver were both hit by gunfire, with the fire chief pronounced dead at the scene, the Chambers County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

The driver was wounded and is expected to survive.

The alleged gunman, 33, was also injured in what police described as a shootout after the driver, who was armed, returned fire, Chambers County Chief Deputy Mike Parrish told WRBL.

The two victims didn’t have cell service, which reportedly led them to approach Franklin’s home.

Cauthen only caught wind of the deer crash because he was tending to property he either owned or took care of nearby, according to authorities.

“Coweta County Fire Rescue continues to be devastated by the tragic passing of Battalion Chief Bart Cauthen,” the fallen chief’s department said in a statement on Monday.

“Cauthen has been with our department for more than 24 years. He was an amazing, hard-working man with a gentle soul.”

Franklin is expected to recover from his wounds and will then be charged with murder, the sheriff’s office said.

The wife of the driver also involved in the deer crash never left the car and was not injured.

The sheriff’s office said the deputy that first arrived at the scene was left shaken by the bloody trail.

“This was an exceptional call that nobody could have been prepared for,” the sheriff’s office said on Facebook.

“Our first deputy on the scene thought he was pulling up on a simple deer wreck. Instead, he found 3 individuals with gunshot wounds. Nothing could’ve prepared him for that.”

Allegations surrounding the fatal gun violence in Alabama are reminiscent of the upstate New York homeowner who opened fire on a car that accidently drove up his driveway in 2023, killing 20-year-old Kaylin Gillis.

The shooter in that case, Kevin Monahan, was sentenced to 25 years to life last year after he was convicted at trial.