A man attempting to evade police on foot Thursday afternoon was shot in Elbert County, officials said.

According to a release from the Elbert County Sheriff’s Office, deputies located a vehicle driving at an excessive speed and without either license plates near the 9000 block of Highway 86, just east of Elizabeth around 12:30 p.m. Thursday.

Deputies made a U-turn in an attempt to stop the driver, but the white pick up continued and turned into the Kiowa Industrial Park. The driver fled on foot into a field.

As authorities arrived, they established a perimeter around the area and began a search in the field. A unnamed deputy located the man and fired a shot that struck his abdomen, deputies said. 

ECSO officials did not say whether the man was armed.

The man was transported to a local hospital and is recovering from surgery. His identity has not been released.

An investigation into the incident is underway by the 18th Judicial District Critical Incident Response Team.