In the small town of Broxton, Georgia, a dispute over the removal of a mobile home on January 3, 2000, escalated into a tragic event that claimed the lives of two law enforcement officers. James Clinton Bryant, a 35-year-old male Patrol Officer with the Broxton Police Department, was the first to fall. He was ambushed and fatally shot while assisting a property owner with the eviction of a renter.
The renter, 55-year-old Willie Mitchell, had anticipated the arrival of law enforcement and
prepared for a violent confrontation. He had hidden a deer rifle in the woods behind the trailer he was being evicted from. When Officer Bryant approached, Mitchell ran behind the trailer, prompting a chase. Mitchell then retrieved his concealed rifle and shot Officer Bryant three times, with one shot to the head and one to each arm.
The violence did not end with Officer Bryant's death. Staff Sergeant Clyde 'Tub' Merritt of the Coffee County Sheriff's Office was also killed when he responded to the call for assistance. As Sergeant Merritt provided cover for a Georgia State Patrol trooper who was attempting to reach the fallen Officer Bryant, Mitchell opened fire again, striking and killing Sergeant Merritt with a shot to the chest.
Following the deadly ambush, Willie Mitchell was apprehended by officers from several agencies who had surrounded the property. He was subsequently arrested and faced multiple charges, including two counts of malice murder. On November 15, 2006, a Ware County jury found Mitchell guilty of the murders. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Officer Bryant, who also served as a full-time officer with the Lumber City Police Department, had been in law enforcement for seven years and was survived by his wife, son, and daughter.
