Authorities identify man killed, injured officer involved in shooting

ALBANY — The Albany Police Department has released the name of the police officer who fatally shot a suspect who attacked him at 512 South Madison St. early Wednesday.

Initial reports on the incident were closely guarded by officials, but the Georgia Bureau of Investigation announced just past 11 p.m. on the night of the shooting that Robert Lee Brown, 55, was the assailant who had been fatally shot by an Albany police officer.

And early Thursday morning, APD officials released the name of the officer.

“The name of the officer involved is Derrick Williams,” said APD spokeswoman Phyllis Banks. “He has been with the Albany police Department for three years, and he is assigned to the APD Uniform Division.”

Williams, 34, was released from Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital on Wednesday after being treated for his wound and he was placed on paid administrative leave, pending the results of a GBI investigation into the incident, according to officials.

Brown died at the hospital. “Robert Lee Brown was pronounced at 5:56 a.m. Wednesday morning,” said Coroner Michael Fowler. “He died from a single gunshot wound.”

According to the GBI release sent out late Wednesday, the agency was called to investigate the officer-involved shooting by the Albany Police Department. Preliminary information, the agency said, indicated that around 5:08 a.m. Wednesday, Albany police were dispatched to the intersection of South Madison Street and Lincoln Avenue in response to a report of a suspicious person throwing items into the roadway.

As the officer arrived at the residence, he spoke to the person, who was later identified as Brown.

“Brown lunged at the officer, hitting him in the shoulder, causing sharp-force trauma,” the GBI release said. “The officer shouted verbal commands for Brown to stop.

“The officer fired his weapon, striking Brown, who was transported to Phoebe Putney Hospital, where he died. The officer was transported to the hospital, where he was treated for his injury. The officer’s injury is described as non-life-threatening. Brown’s body will be transported to the GBI Medical Examiner’s Office in Macon for an autopsy.”

According to GBI officials, results from the investigation will be turned over to the Dougherty County District Attorney’s Office for review once it is completed.

“We hope to have the results of that investigation some time today,” Dougherty County District Attorney Greg Edwards said Thursday. “I have not decided yet when to release any of the findings or have a press conference about the matter.”

Since 2003, eight incidents of deadly use of police force have been reported in Albany, according to officials at the Albany Police Department.

“Over the past 15 years, there have been eight officer-involved shootings,” said Sgt. Bryant Leverett, who serves in APD’s Office of Professional Standards. “With the exception of Andrew Hayslip, the GBI justified all the other shootings.”

According to reports, past officer-involved shootings in Albany included:

— Cpl. Andrew Hayslip (2003) discharged a firearm and fatally wounded his son, wounded the mother of his son and fatally wounded himself;

— Officer Max Parrish (2003) responded to a robbery at Subway and encountered a black male brandishing a firearm. During the encounter, Parrish shot and wounded the suspect;

— Sgt. Joseph Moored and Patrolman Herbert Denton (2004) responded to a call during which a male subject discharged his firearm. Officers returned fire as a result of the muzzle flash. Investigative results revealed the suspect died of a self-inflicted wound;

— Cpl. Vy Chu (2006) was clearing a building when a black female approached him with a weapon, and as a result he shot the subject who was injured;

— Cpl. Tim Harvey (2008) made contact with a suspicious person and during the course of the encounter Harvey was shot. Harvey returned fire, missing the suspect, who was later apprehended;

— Officer Eric Strom (2009) responded to a domestic dispute and a black female, Sarah Riggins, exited the residence firing shots at Strom. Strom returned fire, fatally wounding Riggins;

— Cpl. McKinley Windom and Officer Christopher Hutcherson (2010) responded to a robbery of a Family Dollar retail outlet when a suspect exited the business and brandished a weapon. Hutcherson shot the suspect, injuring him;

— Officer Chris Arline (2012) responded to a business alarm and approached a white male brandishing a firearm. Arline discharged his firearm in the direction of the suspect, missing him. The suspect was not injured.

Additionally, according to APD reports, in 2015, out of 4,700 physical custodial arrests, only 59 incidents included use of force, all non-deadly.

Wednesday’s shooting is the first deadly use of force by the Albany Police Department since 2009, according to officials.

“In 2016, we are currently at 33 documented use-of-force incidents,” said Leverett. “Note, two of these involved accidental discharge by the officer.”