A man suspected in shooting a homeowner who interrupted a burglary Monday remains at large, and the victim is listed in stable condition, police said.
Freddie Dean Brinson, 59, of Park Avenue, "is in stable condition and resting comfortably," said Statesboro Police Cpl. Justin Samples. "He is scheduled to be released in a few days. The Brinson family (said they) would appreciate their privacy once he returns home."
Statesboro police spent hours Monday searching for a man who shot Brinson in his Park Avenue home around noon Monday, but the suspect has eluded capture.
Bulloch County sheriff's deputies, along with officers from Georgia State Patrol, Georgia Southern
University Police Department, State Probation and Parole, and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources assisted Statesboro police in the search Monday.
Using tracking dogs and a helicopter, searchers fanned the area of Gentilly Road and the S&S Greenway in search of the suspect, described as a black male in his early 20s, medium build, standing around 5 feet 10 inches and weighing around 160 pounds.
Local pilot Brian Kent volunteered his services in flying over the area, said Bulloch County sheriff's Chief Deputy Jared Akins.
Statesboro Public Safety Director Wendell Turner said Brinson, a contractor with Statesboro-based C. Merrill Construction, walked in on the suspect as he was burglarizing the home.
Brinson was airlifted to Memorial Hospital in Savannah, suffering from at least one gunshot wound, he said.
The suspect was wearing a gray hoodie, black shirt, and dark or brown pants at the time of the shooting, he said. According to a Nixle alert posted by Statesboro police, the suspect may still be armed. Police did not release the type of firearm used in the shooting.
Brinson is a former Statesboro High School construction teacher; a 2003 Deen Day Smith Service to Mankind Award recipient and has been involved in helping construct homes for Habitat for Humanity.
He was named the SHS Teacher of the Year in 2001-2002.
A neighbor who didn't wish to be identified said she knew Brinson as "a nice man and a neighborhood protector" who, after a 58-year-old Park Avenue woman was forced into her home in December and robbed at gunpoint, said to others on the street, "Don't worry, I'm looking out for anyone who's suspicious here."
Anyone with information concerning this case is asked to contact Statesboro Police Detective Kevin Weatherly at (912) 764-9911. You may also anonymously submit information to www.tipsoft.com. Text messages beginning with "TIPSSPD" may be sent to 274637 (CRIMES). All information is strictly confidential, he said.
Holli Deal Saxon may be reached at (912) 489-9414.