GBI: Man killed after taking gun from South Georgia sheriff’s office, firing at deputy
A man who walked into a South Georgia sheriff’s office, took a gun from a restricted area and fired at a deputy was killed Thursday when the deputy returned fire, officials said.
Edward Roe, 56, took the gun from inside an office at the Atkinson County agency and did not respond to commands to put the weapon down, according to the GBI.
“Roe and the deputy fired their firearms during the altercation, which resulted in Roe’s death,” special agent in charge Jason Seacrist said Friday in a news release. “No officers were injured in this incident.”
Roe first reported to the sheriff’s office at 5:15 p.m. Thursday. The reason for his summons was not released.
The GBI’s Douglas regional office will continue its investigation into the deadly incident, the 73rd officer-involved shooting the agency has been asked to investigate this year.
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.
Pearson, the county seat of Atkinson County, is about 50 miles northeast of Valdosta and about 220 miles southeast of downtown Atlanta.
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Zachary Hansen, a Georgia native, covers economic development and commercial real estate for the AJC. He's been with the newspaper since 2018 and enjoys diving into complex stories that affect people's lives.
