Man charged in shooting deaths of two deputies indicted
The man charged with murder in the Nov. 6 fatal shooting of two Peach County deputies has been indicted.
The indictment, returned Wednesday in Peach County Superior Court, charges Ralph Stanley Elrod Jr., 57, with two counts each of malice murder and felony murder, three counts of aggravated assault on a peace officer and two counts of aggravated assault.
Elrod is being held without bond at the Bibb County jail, according to jail records.
Deputies were called to his Hardison Road home on the west side of Byron to talk with him about a complaint that he'd threatened a neighbor's nephews, who'd been riding a four-wheeler and a motorcycle in front of his house.
A few seconds into the conversation with Deputy Daryl Smallwood and Sgt. Patrick Sondron, Elrod pulled a handgun from his waistband and shot them, authorities said.
When more officers arrived, Elrod emerged from his garage wearing a bulletproof vest and carrying a rifle. He was wounded in a shootout with police.
Smallwood and Sondron died of their wounds.
Amy Leigh Womack: 478-744-4398, @awomackmacon
This story was originally published January 11, 2017 at 11:16 AM with the headline "Man charged in shooting deaths of two deputies indicted."