A driver was killed and a state officer was injured following a shooting and chase in southeast Georgia on Thursday evening, authorities said.
Walter Kye Herman, 29, was shot by a Motor Carrier Compliance Division officer near a Bryan County highway after he allegedly fled from a traffic stop and dragged the officer about 500 feet with his vehicle, according to the GBI.
“The officer fired his weapon, causing both he and Herman to fall from the car, which eventually came to a stop,” the GBI stated. “Herman died at the scene.”
According to the state agency, the officer was at a convenience store on Ga. 280 near I-16 when he noticed a hit-and-run and started pursuing the vehicle. Herman eventually stopped the car and the officer, who was not publicly identified, approached the driver’s-side door.
After a brief conversation, the officer tried putting handcuffs on Herman, who sped away, authorities said. But the officer was still reaching inside the car at that point, causing him to be dragged about one-tenth of a mile, the GBI said.
The vehicle hit a road sign and started traveling down an embankment before the officer shot Herman, according to the state agency, which was asked to investigate the shooting at the request of the Department of Public Safety.
It’s unclear if Herman died from the gunshot wound. His body will be taken to the Coastal Crime Lab Medical Examiner’s Office in Pooler for an autopsy.
The GBI said the officer was taken to a hospital with injuries to his “lower extremities.”
The shooting occurred about 25 miles northwest of downtown Savannah.
Thursday’s incident was the 36th officer-involved shooting the GBI has been asked to investigate this year. At this time last year, the state agency had investigated 45 such shootings.
About the Author
