A vehicle pursuit in Coweta County ended with an armed man fatally shot by deputies Friday afternoon, officials said.
The incident began with a sheriff’s deputy attempting to pull over Anthony Richard Fields for speeding around 2:20 p.m., according to the GBI. The 27-year-old is accused of not stopping his vehicle, at which point a pursuit began.
Sometime during the chase, which Newnan police officers joined to assist deputies, the GBI said Fields crashed into a deputy’s vehicle, injuring the law enforcement officer. The suspect then got out of his vehicle at the intersection of Herring Road and Palomino Drive and a K-9 was released to apprehend him, authorities added.
Fields is accused of pointing a gun at deputies after stepping out of his vehicle. Deputies returned with gunfire and Fields was shot multiple times, the GBI stated. Officials rendered first aid, but Fields was pronounced dead at the scene.
The sheriff’s office said that, due to the immediate threat to “civilians and law enforcement personnel,” deputies had to use deadly force.
The injured deputy was taken to the hospital, and the K-9 that was shot was taken to the veterinarian. The GBI said both have been released and are expected to survive.
The incident marks the 65th officer-involved shooting the GBI has been asked to investigate this year. At this time last year, the state agency had investigated 79 such shootings.
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