AUGUSTA, Georgia — A 19-year-old employee of the Augusta Fire Department has been taken into custody and faces multiple criminal charges after allegedly conducting unauthorized safety inspections at several local educational institutions.
Tyrone Antonio Harris, Jr. was arrested and charged with five counts of impersonating a public officer or employee. Following his booking, bond was established at $9,000 for each of the five counts.
The investigation became public earlier this month when the Richmond County School System released a statement confirming that law enforcement authorities were looking into an Augusta Fire Department worker who had visited multiple campuses to perform what appeared to be official fire inspections. According to investigators, Harris allegedly visited five locations on April 27, including Jamestown Elementary School, Hephzibah Middle School, Hephzibah High School, and the Morgan Road Alternative School. In addition to the academic campuses, Harris also reportedly stopped at AAA Gun and Pawn Broker, a business located on Tobacco Road, on the same date.
The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office and the Augusta Fire Department both confirmed on May 13 that the matter was under active investigation. At that time, fire department leadership notified sheriff’s deputies of their intention to place Harris on administrative leave as a result of the incident.
According to an incident report filed in the case, the Deputy Fire Chief also raised alarms regarding social media content published by Harris early in the morning on May 13. A photograph presented to a law enforcement investigator allegedly depicted Harris posing with two Glock handguns. The report noted that both firearms appeared to be modified with conversion devices, commonly known as Glock switches, which allow the handguns to fire as fully automatic machine pistols.
The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office confirmed this week that jurisdiction over the criminal case has been transferred to the State Fire Marshal’s Office, which functions under the Georgia Office of the Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire. A representative for the state agency acknowledged the transfer of the case but declined to provide additional specifics, stating that the organization cannot offer further commentary regarding an active, ongoing investigation.
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