Deputies in Douglas County shot a man Wednesday while attempting to take him into custody following an incident of family violence, state officials said.
Deshawta McClain, 30, of Douglasville, allegedly fired on the deputies after they breached the door of a home on Ga. 5 near Hemp Street. The deputies returned fire, hitting McClain, and kicking off a standoff with the Douglas sheriff’s office and the Georgia State Patrol SWAT team, according to the GBI.
Deputies responded to the home at 2:40 p.m. after getting a call about a man who threatened members of his family with a gun. They made contact with the family members, who had already escaped, but McClain remained inside, a GBI spokesperson said in a news release.
The sheriff’s office said deputies asked McClain to come out, and he refused to comply, causing the sheriff’s emergency response team and negotiators to respond to the scene. Arrest warrants for aggravated assault and a search warrant were also obtained.
After about 30 minutes of negotiations, deputies used an armored vehicle to breach the door and McClain “walked from the rear of the residence with a long rifle pointed in the direction of the sheriff’s emergency response team,” according to the sheriff’s office.
The GBI said McClain fired at the officers and a deputy returned fire, hitting McClain.
Following the shooting, McClain quickly retreated into a rear bedroom, prompting the arrival of the state patrol SWAT team. At some point, McClain exited the home with a weapon tucked into his waistband, according to the sheriff’s office, and he was taken into custody without further incident.
McClain was taken to a hospital and has since been released into the custody of the sheriff’s office, the GBI said Thursday.
The GBI will conduct an independent investigation and turn its findings over to the Douglas County District Attorney’s Office for review. It was the 57th officer-involved shooting the GBI has investigated this year.
