By Joe Johnson
Athens-Clarke County police said they were investigating a possible drive-by shooting in which a 24-year-old Athens man was shot in the head.
The incident occurred shortly before 2:26 a.m. Friday, when officers responded to a report of an aggravated assault from the victim’s home on Sandy Springs Drive, east of Nowhere Road and near the Madison County line.
Officers located Bryson Moreland in his back yard, with a bullet wound to the back of his head, where it meets the neck.
“I believe the round may have ricocheted off his skull and exited at another point on his neck,” a responding officer wrote in a police incident report.
The injured man’s pickup truck was located nearby, with eight to nine bullet holes in the driver's side, according to the report.
According to the police report, Moreland’s girlfriend from Carlton was in his residence when she heard gunshots outside prior to the victim coming in through the back door, “howling from the pain in the back of the head.”
The report noted that the residence was equipped with a Ring doorbell video camera that was running up until 2:18 a.m., at which time it was turned off and then turned back on at 2:30 a.m.
Morehead did not provide much information prior to being transported by National EMS to Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center, according to the report, which noted that the victim cursed at an officer who walked into his room in an attempt to speak to him and he told the officer multiple times that he will “take care of this himself.”
Lt. Shaun Barnett, ACCPD’s public information officer said a motive for the shooting was not immediately known.
Morehead’s damaged pickup was towed so it could be processed for evidence at ACCPD’s impound lot.