Banks Co Sheriff’s Deputy Finalist for Axon RISE Award

A Banks County Sheriff’s Deputy is one of 10 finalists for the 2022 AXON RISE award for heroism.

According to their website, the RISE Awards is a program that highlights the voices and incredible stories of those involved in law enforcement.

Banks County Sheriff’s Deputy Clay Geidner was nominated by Banks County Sheriff Carlton Speed for his capture of 49-year-old Larry Steven Grogan of Danielsville in August, 2021.

Grogan was charged with the murder of Banks County US Postal worker Asa Wood Jr. Of Commerce.

He was also charged with two counts of aggravated assault on a police officer.

According to Sheriff Speed, on August 7, 2020 Banks County Sheriff’s deputies were alerted to an intentional shooting on Homer Road.

When they arrived, they found 59-year-old Asa Wood Jr. of Commerce dead from a gunshot wound. Wood was a rural postal worker and was working his morning route when he was fatally shot.

Speed said that during the course of the investigation, leads were developed, a person of interest was established, and deputies received a description of the suspect’s vehicle.

That vehicle description matched the one Grogan was driving, according to the Sheriff.

Deputy Geidner later spotted Grogan’s vehicle on Highway 51 and a chase ensued when Speed said Grogan refused to pull over.

Geidner performed a PIT maneuver on Grogan’s car causing to run off the road, at which point he got out of the car and fired a rifle at the deputy who returned fire and hit Grogan.

Sheriff Speed said during the entire incident, Deputy Geidner kept a calm demeanor, and due to his bravery in the face of gunfire a dangerous criminal was taken into custody.