A man was shot and killed during a Thursday evening standoff at a Troup County home where several people had to be evacuated, the GBI said.
Russell Jason Heiser, 52, of West Point, was fatally shot during the incident. No Troup sheriff’s office deputies were injured.
Deputies said they were called to the home on Shoemaker Road around 9:30 p.m. regarding an armed man who was making threats to shoot himself and possibly harm others in the home, including a child. The GBI said deputies encountered Heiser waving a gun and tried negotiating with him to put down the weapon.
Several family members were in the house with Heiser at the time and deputies said they were able to safely escort everyone out. It was at that point that a standoff between deputies and Heiser began, according to the GBI.
At around 11:45 p.m., the sheriff’s office said Heiser came out of the home, placed a handgun on a porch railing and spoke with deputies. About 15 minutes later, a deputy deployed their Taser after Heiser allegedly attempted to run toward the gun he had previously put down, officials added.
Heiser was able to retrieve the gun and point it at deputies before two deputies shot in his direction as he retreated into the home, the GBI said. Officials then heard a gunshot from inside the home and Heiser was later found suffering from a single gunshot wound, the state agency said.
Heiser was taken to a nearby hospital, where he eventually died. The GBI did not say if the gunshot wound that killed Heiser was self-inflicted or if it was a result of when deputies shot at him.
The GBI was asked to investigate the incident and will turn over all findings to the Coweta County Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office. It marked the 12th officer-involved shooting the state agency has been asked to investigate this year.
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