Statesboro police are offering a reward for information leading to the arrest of a man they say shot a homeowner who interrupted a burglary.
Freddie Dean Brinson, 59, came home while the suspect was in his Park Avenue home at about noon Monday. He was taken to East Georgia Regional Medical Center, then airlifted to Memorial University Medical Center in Savannah. Police said Wednesday that Brinson is expected to be released from the hospital within a few days.
The Statesboro Public Safety Department has created a dedicated account for the reward at Sea Island Bank. Donations to the fund can be given at any Sea Island Bank branch or the Statesboro Police Department, according to a police news release issued Thursday afternoon.
Anyone wishing to donate to the fund should make checks payable to the "Freddie Brinson Reward Fund." The Statesboro Police Department would like to thank Sea Island Bank for their help in this effort, according to the news release.
The shooting prompted a manhunt, including officers, tracking dogs and a helicopter, that lasted into the evening hours Monday. Statesboro police were assisted by the Bulloch County Sheriff's Office, Georgia State Patrol, Georgia Southern University Police Department, State Probation and Parole and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.
Police have continued searching since then, but the suspect has continued to elude capture.
The suspect is described as a black male in his early 20s, medium build, standing around 5 feet 10 inches and weighing around 160 pounds. The suspect was wearing a gray hoodie, black shirt, and dark or brown pants at the time of the shooting and could still be armed, police said.
Brinson is a contractor with Statesboro-based C. Merrill Construction. He 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.
Anyone with information concerning this case is asked to contact the Statesboro Police Department at (912) 764-9911. You may also anonymously submit information to www.tipsoft.com or by texting a tip to "TIPSSPD plus your message" to 274637 (CRIMES). All information is strictly confidential.