NEWNAN, Ga. — The attorney for a Newnan dentist and her husband said his clients were not the aggressors in a road rage incident that led to a parking lot shooting, charges and serious injuries for the two amid a dispute with another couple.
"I just don't think law enforcement….that anyone has the full set of facts," Rudjard Hayes told Channel 2 investigative reporter Nicole Carr. "They were in no way, shape or form looking for this couple which is what the reports are suggesting."
Hayes was retained on Sunday by Dr. Lona Bibbs, a Newnan pediatric dentist who turned herself into authorities on Monday. Bibbs has been charged with aggravated assault, terroristic acts and threats, battery and simple assault. Her husband, Keith Walker, is heading into surgery for a gunshot wound this week. He is also facing an aggravated assault charge, while the other couple tied to the incident is not facing charges.
Hayes and his clients have a vastly different account from another couple and law enforcement, as the latter investigates the chaos that unfolded on Thanksgiving weekend.
Coweta County investigators said that the other couple, Ronald Fuller and Darcy McCoy first saw Bibbs driving along I-85 on Nov. 25th.
“We have a couple that witnessed Dr. Bibbs in a black Escalade driving aggressively towards a small red car on the interstate,” said Investigator Jacob Herbert.
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Herbert said all three cars took Exit 47, with the red car heading in one direction and Bibbs and Fuller meeting at a stoplight along Bullsboro Drive.
That’s where the accounts of what happened begin to differ, as Fuller admits to police that he rolled down his window to tell Bibbs about her driving.
“Heated words were exchanged and according to witnesses several threats were issued by Dr. Bibbs to this couple,” said Herbert.
“This started as a road rage incident with the white couple calling my client, Dr. Bibbs, a racial slur and she responded,” countered Hayes.
Everyone agrees that Bibbs headed two miles away to her dental practice on Newnan Crossing Boulevard, while the couple headed into the Newnan Pavilion shopping center.
Herbert said authorities believe Bibbs called her husband to tell him about the incident and they returned to the shopping center in separate cars to find the couple.
“Had Dr. Bibbs gone her separate way and dropped the incident, none of this would have occurred,” said Herbert.
But Hayes said Walker was already at Bibbs' dental practice, where she was heading that day, because he’s a general contractor and he was working on her office.
“They, my clients, left the practice to go to the Pavilion to go shopping,” said Hayes.
The couple reported that they were blocked into the parking lot by Bibbs and Walker, but Hayes said Walker saw his wife pull over and didn’t know what was going on.
Bibbs and McCoy began to fight. Hayes said Walker got out to break up the fight. That’s also what Fuller claims he did before seeing Walker’s gun.
Attorney Hayes said Walker never drew his gun to prompt Fuller to shoot him, posing an opposite narrative to McCoy and Fuller’s story.
“I’ve yet to get a statement from her or her attorney on that, so I can’t comment on that,” Investigator Herbert told Carr.
An off-duty Fayette County deputy broke up the dispute, according to Coweta authorities.
Hayes said the couple hasn’t provided formal statements to the police because they were transported to Grady after the brawl and shooting that’s left Walker in need of surgery this week.
“He is seriously injured and runs the risk of losing the use of his right arm,” said Hayes.
Bibbs and Walker are scheduled to speak with law enforcement after the surgery, something Hayes said they look forward to doing.
“That’s not what happened,” Hayes said referring to the stories presented by Fulle and and McCoy stories. “I feel certain once all the evidence is actually presented and accurately presented, you will find that my clients were in no way, shape or form the aggressor.”
Attempts to reach Fuller and McCoy were unsuccessful on Wednesday.
Coweta authorities said there are at least 30 witnesses in the case, but they are still looking for the driver of the small, red passenger car described in the alleged incident on I-85. They’re also asking the public to call police in any road rage disputes.
Cox Media Group
