An Albany man was life flighted to Columbus for treatment to a gunshot to the face he reported shortly after midnight, though his version of events is under investigation.
At 12:16 a.m. Tuesday, Bryan Withrow, 33, called 911 to report that he had been shot in the face next to his car on State Route 681, according to a news release from Athens County Sheriff Pat Kelly.
Withrow said he parked his car at the side of the road because he was checking the vehicle, which was overheating. Withrow said an unknown person fired a single shot at him, which struck him in the face, according to the release.
"I was in a red truck," Withrow said in the 911 call. "They pulled off the road to look at my truck, and that's when they started shooting."
Withrow drove himself to the Pantry Store in Albany where he was met by paramedics and subsequently transported via life flight to Columbus, according to the release.
The dispatcher who answered the 911 call urged Withrow to put extreme pressure on the wound with his shirt.
"Don't take it off, whatever you do," he said. "I've got deputies in route there and I've got the squad coming."
Withrow's account of events is under investigation because deputies found a gunshot in the grill of his car and paramedics found multiple shotgun pellets, both indicating multiple shots were fired, according to the release.
Detectives are en route to Columbus to interview Withrow about the conflicting information.
The shooting was an isolated event and public safety "is not in jeopardy," Sheriff Kelly said in the release.
