A man was shot multiple times by Gwinnett County police officers Monday when he raised a gun toward them outside his Lawrenceville home, police said.
Police were called to respond to a domestic incident between the man and his ex-wife at the home they shared on Alex Lane. The woman called 911 about 8 p.m. to report her ex-husband physically assaulted her, Gwinnett police spokeswoman Cpl. Michele Pihera said.
When officers arrived, the woman was standing outside the home. Pihera said the man, identified by the GBI as 57-year-old William Payton, had barricaded himself inside with at least one firearm.
“While officers were setting up a perimeter outside the home, the suspect opened the door,” she said. “The officers gave verbal commands. He pointed his firearm at the officers, and the officers discharged their weapons striking him multiple times.”
Credit: Gwinnett County Police Department
Credit: Gwinnett County Police Department
Payton was taken to an area hospital with life-threatening injuries, police said. He is listed in critical condition, according to a statement from the GBI.
Police have taken out warrants for Payton’s arrest in connection with the domestic violence incident.
No officers were injured. The GBI has been requested to investigate, which is standard protocol in officer-involved shootings.
Officer-involved shootings in Georgia this year are on track to pass the 88 recorded in 2017, according to the GBI. The Gwinnett shooting is the 66th such investigation the agency has opened in 2018.
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