Oconee Murder Suspect Arrested After Shooting At Officers

WATKINSVILLE, GA — A man wanted for murder in Oconee County was captured on Thursday, more than 200 miles away in North Carolina.

Jamal Antron Harris, 32, reportedly fired a handgun at law enforcement officers before being apprehended near Gastonia, North Carolina.

"I tried to encourage Jamar Harris to surrender but he chose another way," reads a post on the Oconee County Sheriff's Office Facebook page. "After a car chase and exchange of gunfire Harris is in custody somewhere near Gastonia ... . Harris is facing a multitude of local charges."

Harris is accused of killing Rendell Joman Cunningham in Oconee County.

Cunningham's body was found off of Fambrough Cemetery Road earlier this week. He had been shot four times, according to the sheriff's office.

Authorities from Rock Hill, S.C. -- Harris's hometown -- pursued Harris into North Carolina, according to the Oconee sheriff. Authorities were alerted to his possible whereabouts by both a local witness and someone who saw his photo on one of the Facebook posts.

The Gaston Gazette, in North Carolina, reports that when officers first attempted to pull over Harris, he fired a handgun at them and led them on a car chase, before eventually surrendering. Officers did not return fire, the paper reported.

According to the Gaston County (N.C.) Sheriff's Office, Harris was booked into jail there shortly before 3 a.m. Friday and is being held on a $4 million bond.

In addition to a murder charge in Oconee County, he faces charges based on his fight with police that include multiple attempted murder charges, possession of heroin and possession of a firearm by a felon.

Photo courtesy Oconee County Sheriff's Office