A man carrying a gun was running away from El Paso County Sheriff’s Deputies when he was hit by a car just as he turned to point the gun at the officers behind him, according to the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office.

It happened at about 1:30 p.m. Monday near the Super 8 Motel at Peterson Road and Highway 24. A Sheriff’s Deputy became suspicious about a vehicle parked at the motel that hadn’t been there earlier. He called in the license number and discovered it was a car that had been reported stolen from Manitou Springs.

The deputy called for backup, and they were able to confirm the cars belonging to every occupant at the motel except for one. They knocked on the door of that room, but no one answered. A deputy outside of the motel saw a man with a gun jump out the back window of that room. The man has been identified as George Garnhart. At that time, the Sheriff’s Office says that the deputies began chasing Garnhart on foot. They ordered him to stop, but say he did not.

The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office says that Garnhart headed toward Peterson Road. He then stopped when he was on the road, turned around and started to lower his gun at deputies, who say Garnhart looked as though he was about to take a shot at them. At that moment, a Jeep Cherokee headed north-bound at about 30 miles per hour hit Garnhart. He was thrown up on the hood of the car, and when the driver slammed on the brakes, Garnhart was thrown 20 feet from the car.

Garnhart was taken to Memorial Hospital with non-serious injuries, and is expected to be released shortly. At that time he will be booked into the El Paso County Criminal Justice Center, and the Sheriff’s Office says he will likely face charges of attempted assault on a peace officer and motor vehicle theft. In addition, Garnhart already has several warrants out for his arrest.

The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office Bureau Chief Joe Breister says the incident is both good and bad. “Unfortunately for him, he was hit by a vehicle. Fortunately for deputies, had that vehicle not hit him it would have resulted in a shooting because our officers were ready to return fire had he fully turned and lowered the gun at them.”