Listen to the 911 call in Georgia Tech shooting
The campus police officer who shot and killed a Georgia Tech student Saturday night had just over a year on the force, law enforcement records show.
On Tuesday, the GBI identified the officer as Tyler Beck. He joined Tech’s police force in May 2016, records show.
Beck was certified by the Georgia Peace Officer and Standards Training Council (POST) but had not undergone Crisis Intervention Training, which trains police on how to handle mentally ill suspects.
Meanwhile, authorities released the 911 call made by Scout Schultz that set the wheels in motion for the confrontation.
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Schultz, who attempted suicide two years ago using a belt as a makeshift noose, made a 911 call reporting a suspicious individual carrying a knife and possibly a gun. The GBI said Monday they found three suicide notes in Schultz's room.
Four officers, including Beck, responded initially, engaging Schultz, who was armed only with a multi-purpose tool that included a small blade. It was not extended. And there was no gun.
Police ordered the campus activist to drop the pocket knife. In a video capturing the incident Schultz can be heard responding, “Shoot me!” Schultz also ignored officer’s commands to stand in place, moving slowly towards the four officers who surrounded the Lilburn native.
Roughly 20 feet separated them when Beck fired his gun. The bullet landed in Schultz’s chest. Thirty minutes later, Schultz was pronounced dead.
-Atlanta Journal-Constitution data specialist Jennifer Peebles contributed to this report
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Read more about the officer Tyler Beck, his background and training, and find out more about the Crisis Intervention Training taken by some state officers at myAJC.com.
About the Author
A native Atlantan, Boone joined the AJC staff in 2007. He quickly carved out a niche covering crime stories, assuming the public safety beat in 2014. He's covered some of the biggest trials this decade, from Hemy Neuman to Ross Harris to Chip Olsen, the latter of which was featured on Season 7 of the AJC's award-winning "Breakdown" podcast.
