Officer-involved shooting in Thomas County investigated

THOMASVILLE — The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has been called in to investigate an officer-involved shooting in Thomas County in which an armed pedestrian, reported to have been acting erratically, was fatally shot after de-escalation efforts and non-lethal force failed.

The identity of the man will be released once next of kin has been notified, and an autopsy is to be conducted at the GBI Crime Lab in Macon, officials said.

GBI officials in a new release Thursday said the agency was called in to investigate the case by the Thomas County Sheriff’s Office. According to preliminary information, the county’s 911 center received a call at 7:11 p.m. Wednesday about a man walking along County Line Road and carrying a gun.

Thomas County Sheriff’s deputies responded to the call and found a man carrying a pistol. The report said the man was talking irrationally, and that he kept his weapon and was non-responsive to de-escalation attempts of offering him assistance.

“Witnesses interviewed thus far state that repeated attempts were made to de-escalate the situation by speaking to the man and trying to offer him help and get him to drop the gun,” GBI officials said.

The Thomasville/Thomas County SWAT Team was called and also attempted to communicate with the man, the GBI said.

“SWAT team officers eventually approached the individual as he continued to walk along the road,” the GBI release said. “Officers deployed a non-lethal flexible baton (bean bag) round, but it was unsuccessful. The man then pointed his pistol toward the SWAT officers. An officer providing cover during the incident fatally shot the subject.”

The investigation was still active Thursday. When it is completed, the agency said, the results will be given to the Southern Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office for review. Anyone with information is asked to call the GBI office in Thomasville at (229) 225-4090.