Atlanta man sentenced for assaulting Federal Marshals with a motor vehicle
ATLANTA – Shusta Traverse Gumbs was sentenced today following his convictions for two counts of using a motor vehicle to assault members of the U.S. Marshals Services’ Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force (SERTF) after he eluded arrest in his vehicle, pinning a Deputy U.S. Marshal with his car during his escape.
“In an attempt to flee arresting officers, Gumbs showed no regard for life when he seriously injured one of the Deputy Marshals with his vehicle,†said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay†Pak.  “His lengthy prison sentence reflects our commitment to prosecute those who seek to injure our law enforcement partners who work tirelessly to protect us.â€
“We appreciate the efforts of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in obtaining this conviction of Gumbs, who is a violent repeat offender,†said Keith D. Booker, Chief Inspector, Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force, U.S. Marshals Service.  “Law enforcement personnel face dangers every day in an effort to keep communities safe. Violence against those who swear an oath to protect the public will not be tolerated.â€
According to U.S. Attorney Pak, the charges, and evidence presented at trial: On October 21, 2016, the SERFTF sought Gumbs for an active warrant issued by Douglas County, Georgia, Superior Court for failure to appear for the offenses of theft by receiving stolen property, felon in possession of a firearm, and possession of marijuana. SERFTF members saw Gumbs stopped in a black car in a parking lot of a store in the West End neighborhood of Atlanta.Â
A deputy entered the parking lot in a car, with another deputy as his passenger. A third deputy arrived in a van, with two more deputies as his passengers. Two separate deputies each arrived in separate vehicles. All the officers then converged on Gumbs’s vehicle with the sirens and blue lights of their vehicles engaged and firearms drawn. Gumbs was ordered to turn off and exit his vehicle. Gumbs suddenly placed his vehicle in reverse and backed up approximately 10 to 15 feet.
One of the deputies then ran to his vehicle to retrieve an expandable baton should it become necessary to break any of the windows of Gumbs’ vehicle. As that deputy approached Gumbs’s vehicle a second time, Gumbs accelerated his vehicle to force his way past two of the officers’ parked vehicles. As Gumbs did so, he pinned the deputy between the two vehicles, crushing a thigh, knee, foot, and ankle. Gumbs then fled the West End area at a high rate of speed during heavy traffic, striking a motorist’s vehicle, and running a stop sign and a red traffic light. He eventually abandoned the vehicle and eluded capture until four days later, on October 25, 2016.
Following a jury trial, Shusta Traverse Gumbs, 40, of the U.S. Virgin Islands, was convicted on December 11, 2017, of two counts of forcibly assaulting, impeding, opposing, resisting, or interfering with four federal officers during the performance of their official duties. U.S. District Judge Mark H. Cohen sentenced Gumbs to 19 years, six months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Services’ Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force, with assistance from the Atlanta Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie, Jr., Chief of the Violent Crime and National Security Section, prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). In keeping with the Attorney General’s mission to reduce violent crime, the Northern District of Georgia’s PSN program focuses on prosecuting those individuals who most significantly drive violence in our communities, and supports and fosters partnerships between law enforcement and schools, the faith community, and local community leaders to prevent and deter future criminal conduct.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Department of Justice
Office of the U.S. Attorney
Northern District of Georgia
Source: Justice.gov