Developing Story
TRENTON, Ga. - Charges against two Chattanooga bonding company employees in the nonfatal shooting of a Dade County, Ga., man they were trying to take into custody have been dropped.
William Cornelius Cardin Jr., 56, of Dalton, Ga., and Dave Anthony Coburn, 59, of Chattanooga, were charged in May with aggravated assault after 21-year-old Michael A. Parker was shot in the confrontation at his Trenton home, according to previously published reports.
Parker was shot in the arm during the encounter with Cardin and Coburn, both employees at the time of Chattanooga-based Huckabee Bonding, Dade officials said in May. Both men were armed with .40-caliber Glock pistols.
In two motions filed in Dade County Magistrate Court, Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit Assistant District Attorney Leonard Gregor Jr. sought dismissal of the charges because "based upon the facts and circumstances present at the time of the alleged incident, the state believes that insufficient evidence to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt exists," court records state.
The motions were entered June 21.
Dade County investigators said at the time of the arrest that the May 17 shooting at 394 Cherokee Trail likely was not intentional.
"I think it happened because they were scuffling around and he [Parker] was trying to get away from them," Dade County Chief Detective Don Hicks said in May. Hicks said the bondsmen were attempting to pick up Parker for failure to appear in court.
According to Hicks' report, Cardin fired a round from his pistol and Coburn fired his stun gun as Parker fled from the gunshot.
Parker was hospitalized after the shooting injury to his arm that required surgery to correct, according to authorities.
Contact staff writer Ben Benton at bbenton@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6569. Subscribe to his posts at facebook.com/ben.benton1 and twitter.com/BenBenton.