Cherokee deputies kill man, find mom’s body decaying in home
A 26-year-old man was shot and killed Saturday night by deputies outside a Cherokee County home, where his mother’s decaying body was found inside, authorities said.
Deputies had responded to a wellness check around 6:45 p.m. at a home on Whisperwood Trail near Acworth, according to sheriff’s office Capt. Jay Baker. The residence is located near the intersection of Bells Ferry Road and Alabama Road.
When law enforcement got there, Baker said an armed man came across the responding deputies, who then shot and killed him outside the home. Authorities have not stated what prompted the gunfire.
Baker said one of the deputies was injured and taken to Wellstar Kennestone Hospital, where he was treated and released. The deputy was not shot, Baker confirmed.
After the gunfire, the sheriff’s office said deputies smelled “an odor of decay” and found an adult woman inside the home. The body of the woman, who was the mother of the 26-year-old, will be taken to the GBI Crime Lab for an autopsy, authorities said.
“Due to the advanced stage of decomposition, it is unknown how the female died,” Baker said in a statement.
The GBI was asked to investigate the officer-involved shooting, while the sheriff’s office will look into the death of the woman, Baker said. Their names have not been released because the families have yet to be notified, he added.
An investigation is ongoing.
