Hospital Visit Leads To Arrest in Towns County

On Monday evening October 30th, Towns County Sheriff’s Office received a call concerning an individual with a gunshot wound who was receiving treatment at Chatuge Regional Hospital. The victim was a 31-year-old male of Hiawassee. Investigation revealed that Melvin Linn (Bubba) Masters Jr, age 45, also of Hiawassee was the perpetrator.

The Sheriff’s Office was serving arrest warrants on Masters, at which time he barricaded himself inside a garage with a handgun at an address on Kimsey Cove Road.

Sheriff’s deputies surrounded the garage and Sheriff Ken Henderson negotiated with the suspect for approximately 3 hours.

In the course of the negotiation, the suspect was distracted, which allowed a Towns County deputy to tackle and disarm him and he was arrested.

During the arrest an amount of Methamphetamine laced with Fentanyl, which field tested positive, was confiscated along with drug paraphernalia.

Sheriff Ken Henderson is proud of the deputies for their performance in a tense situation. This was a fantastic job by all our deputies.

The situation came to a safe conclusion without anyone injured.

Melvin Linn Masters, Jr was arrested and charged with: • Felony Aggravated Assault • Felony Possession of Methamphetamine • Felony Possession of Firearm by Convicted Felon • Possession and Use of Drug Related Object • Obstruction of An Officer • Probation Violation

* All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.*