The Warren County District Attorney who opened fire on fleeing murder suspects in a Smithville neighborhood in November was arraigned in DeKalb Criminal Court last week, with his attorney entering a “not guilty” plea on his behalf. Attorney General 43-year-old Christopher Robert Stanford of McMinnville did not appear in court, but his attorney, Jeff Cherry, entered the plea on his client’s behalf after filing a waiver of appearance and arraignment.

In November, Stanford was accompanying law enforcement to a residence on Bell Street, where two of three people believed to be involved in a triple murder in Warren County were allegedly located. After the suspects were located in a vehicle, law enforcement attempted to stop the car and arrest the suspects.

During the chaos, a Homeland Security officer was struck by the vehicle and knocked to the ground. It was then that Stanford opened fire, but failed to hit the vehicle or the suspects. One of the stray bullets struck and entered a local home, where several children were located inside.

One of the suspects, 28-year-old Caleb Diez Brookins, reportedly exited the vehicle and took off running on foot. The driver, 21-year-old Hannah McKenzi Rose, was arrested shortly after.

DeKalb EMS responded to Bell Street, where the Homeland Security officer was transported to the hospital with a leg injury. Brookins would eventually be caught by the TBI a couple of hours later in the housing projects on Wade Street.

During a special session of the DeKalb County Grand Jury, on December 16, a sealed indictment was issued against Stanford charging him with reckless endangerment and discharging a firearm into an occupied habitation.

Stanford is scheduled to appear in court April 7.