ATHENS, Ga. — New details have been released by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation in connection with an officer-involved shooting that left a man dead early Tuesday in Athens-Clarke County.
According to the GBI, the shooting happened around 12:43 a.m. Tuesday, May 12, after Athens-Clarke County Police Department officers responded to the 1000 block of Hull Road regarding a 911 call involving a man who had reportedly fired a gun. The caller told dispatchers that multiple shots had been fired before officers arrived.
Investigators said officers encountered a man matching the caller’s description and gave him several verbal commands to put down the gun. Authorities said the man refused to comply and then pointed the firearm at his own head.
According to the GBI, the man fired the gun, and one officer then discharged their weapon. The man was struck by gunfire and was pronounced dead at the scene.
No officers were injured during the incident.
The man’s body will be taken to the GBI Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy and positive identification. His identity has not yet been released.
The GBI said it is conducting an independent investigation into the shooting at the request of the Athens-Clarke County Police Department. Once complete, the case file will be turned over to the Northern Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office for review.
The ACCPD Office of Professional Standards is also conducting a concurrent administrative investigation. The officer involved has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigations, according to ACCPD spokesperson Lt. Katie Jenkins.
Anyone with information about the incident is encouraged to contact the GBI Regional Investigative Office in Athens at 706-552-2309. Anonymous tips may be submitted through the GBI tip line or mobile app.
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