Cherokee County deputies responded to County Road 72 in the Cloudland community in the early morning hours on Monday that led to a standoff lasting around 10 hours. 911 received a call, around 2 AM, that a male had destroyed another man’s truck and was making threats to kill others. Deputies attempted to make contact with the suspect upon their arrival, but the man saw them on surveillance cameras and threatened to kill them.  

According to Chief Deputy Josh Summerford, the Cherokee County multi-jurisdictional emergency response team (ERT), responded after the armed suspect barricaded himself inside his residence.  The suspect eventually escaped the residence and was apprehended in the woods. He was armed with multiple firearms at the time of arrest. 

Adam Atkinson, 41 of Mentone, was charged with first degree making terroristic threats, first degree criminal mischief and resisting arrest.   

The Cherokee County ERT is made up of personnel from the Sheriff’s Office, Centre Police Department, and Leesburg Police Department.  The Sheriff’s Office was also assisted by Cherokee County EMA.