An 85-year-old man was killed in a shootout with northeast Georgia deputies at a home over the weekend, officials said Monday.
The Union County Sheriff’s Office was called around 3:20 p.m. Sunday to a domestic dispute at the residence on Wesley Mountain Road near Blairsville, about 10 miles south of the Tennessee border. When deputies arrived, they tried to negotiate with the suspect, identified as Wendall Cross, who had a gun, according to the GBI.
“Cross fired his gun in the direction of the deputies while they were giving him commands to put down his gun,” the GBI stated. “Deputies returned fire and shot Cross.”
Deputies rendered first aid to Cross, who was taken to a hospital. Once there, he was pronounced dead.
Officials said no law enforcement members were injured. The GBI will conduct an independent investigation before giving its findings to the Union County District Attorney’s Office for review.
It was the ninth officer-involved shooting the state agency has been asked to investigate in 2024. As of this time last year, there had been 14 such incidents.
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