A man was killed early Thursday after leading law enforcement on a high-speed chase in Barrow County and then shooting at police, authorities said.
Barrow Sheriff Jud Smith said the chase began when deputies attempted to stop a Ford sedan driven by a wanted man, later identified as 29-year-old Steven Jesse Dylan Thompson of Auburn. A deputy ran the Ford’s tags after seeing its driver run a stop sign, GBI special agent Jesse Maddox told reporters at the scene.
“The tag immediately came back to the registered owner, who had a warrant out for them,” Maddox said. “They activated their blue lights and when they did, the vehicle took off.”
Thompson was wanted in Hall County, authorities said. The pursuit ended when he crashed into a power pole near Browns Bridge Road and Bradford Lane Park and the vehicle landed on its side. The entire chase lasted one minute, six seconds.
Credit: Georgia Bureau of Investigation
Credit: Georgia Bureau of Investigation
According to the GBI, Thompson remained inside the wrecked vehicle with a gun. As additional officers arrived, he reportedly threatened to shoot himself if anyone approached him. Officers said they repeatedly told the man to drop the gun, and nearby residents who heard the commotion estimated the negotiations lasted at least 20 minutes.
“The officers spoke for several minutes trying to get him to surrender his weapon so that they could assist him after that traffic accident,” Maddox said, adding they were trying to “de-escalate the situation.”
“At some point, the driver began yelling at deputies and officers at the scene and began shooting,” Smith told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “The deputies and officers returned fire and the suspect stopped firing at them.”
Thompson was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead, authorities said.
A woman riding in the car crawled out after the wreck and immediately surrendered, according to the GBI. She was taken to the hospital with minor injuries and remained there Thursday afternoon. It’s unclear if she faces any charges.
No officers or deputies were injured in the exchange of gunfire.
The GBI was called to investigate the deadly police shooting about 6 a.m. and remained at the scene for much of the day. An autopsy on Thompson’s body will be conducted at the GBI Crime Lab in DeKalb County, officials said.
Credit: JOHN SPINK / JSPINK@AJC.COM
Credit: JOHN SPINK / JSPINK@AJC.COM
The Georgia State Patrol is assisting in the crash investigation and the GBI will examine footage of the shooting from the officers’ body and dash cameras, authorities said.
Thursday’s incident is the 46th police shooting the GBI has investigated this year, and the second in less than 48 hours. On Tuesday, a man was killed during a SWAT incident in Newton County after opening fire on deputies who were trying to take him into custody, according to the GBI. One deputy was taken to a hospital.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution also tracks officer-involved shootings that don’t involve the GBI, and those numbers sometimes differ from the GBI’s tally.
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