Woman found dead in garage, man killed in Newton County SWAT encounter

A domestic violence call at a Newton County home Monday night ended in two deaths, one as a result of an encounter with SWAT officers, authorities said.

Erin Rene Smith, 40, was found dead in a garage inside the home on Magan Court in Porterdale, according to the GBI. When Porterdale police first arrived around 9:30 p.m. to investigate a reported domestic disturbance and gunshots, they found a pool of blood on the driveway.

Smith’s body would not be discovered until after SWAT officers broke down the front door and encountered a man with a gun hiding in an upstairs closet, GBI spokeswoman Nelly Miles said. He was later identified as Daryl Johannesson, 56.

Shots were fired.

“The SWAT officer fired his weapon, but there is also potentially another potential self-inflicted wound, because there was a handgun recovered,” Miles told Channel 2 Action News from the scene Tuesday afternoon. “But that is all right now under investigation.”

The circumstances surrounding Smith’s death are also still under investigation. It appears she died of gunshot wounds, Miles said.

While their relationship was not disclosed, neighbors told the news station the two are married and share a young son. The boy was away at camp Monday night, Channel 2 reported.

The GBI is handling the investigation at the request of Porterdale police and the Newton County Sheriff’s Office.

Porterdale police told AJC.com on Tuesday morning local authorities would not be releasing any further information.

The small Newton County village of about 1,500 people sits along the Yellow River.

The incident is the 44th officer-involved shooting the GBI has been called to investigate in 2019, Miles said.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution also tracks officer-involved shootings that don't involve the GBI, and those numbers sometimes differ from the agency’s tally.

— Please return to AJC.com for updates.

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