Drug squad agents in Thomas County shot and killed a 19-year-old Wednesday after he led them on a short chase and pulled out a gun once he got out of his car, state officials said.
Alfred Cole, of Thomasville, was taken to the hospital after the shooting but later died, according to the GBI. Cole was not initially a target of the drug squad’s investigation, but agents spotted his car driving erratically, which led to the pursuit.
The incident took place around 2 p.m. in Thomasville, where drug squad agents were searching for a wanted man in the area of Meadow Street, the GBI said. While they were searching, a Thomas sheriff’s deputy told officers in the area to be on the lookout for a beige Toyota Camry being driven erratically.
Agents spotted the car and attempted to pull it over, the GBI said, but the driver tried to speed away. The car ended up going off Meadow Street and coming to a stop near some woods. Cole then got out and pulled a semi-automatic handgun, according to the state agency. Both agents from the pursuing patrol car pulled their weapons and opened fire on Cole, the GBI said.
After Cole was hit, the agents provided first aid until he could be taken to the hospital. No law enforcement officers were injured during the incident. Agents determined that Cole’s gun, which was recovered at the scene, had been reported stolen, the GBI said.
The state agency said it has opened an independent investigation into the shooting at the request of the Thomas sheriff’s office. A GBI medical examiner will conduct an autopsy on Cole’s body.
Anyone with information is asked to call the GBI regional investigative office in Thomasville at 229-225-4090. Anonymous tips can also be submitted by calling 1-800-597-TIPS (8477), visiting https://gbi.georgia.gov/submit-tips-online, or downloading the See Something, Send Something mobile app.
Once the investigation is complete, the GBI’s results will be turned over to the district attorney for the Southern Georgia Judicial Circuit.
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