GBI: Acworth man killed after trying to harm wife, shooting at deputies
An Acworth man was shot and killed by Pickens County deputies Saturday after he reportedly violated a restraining order, tried to harm his wife and shot at law enforcement officers, officials said.
Derek Cooper, 52, was fatally shot during an incident at a home in Talking Rock, the GBI said in a news release.
Pickens deputies were sent to the home about 11 a.m. after a 911 caller reported that Cooper was trespassing on the property. The 911 caller said Cooper had tried to kill his wife during a domestic incident earlier in the week and had an active restraining order against him.
“Cooper was in fact out on bond for the domestic violence incident with conditions of no contact with his wife and children,” the GBI said.
When deputies arrived, they found Cooper in the back yard of the home. His wife and children, along with another family member were hiding inside the home at the time of the incident, the GBI said.
A deputy gave Cooper verbal commands, but Cooper pulled out a gun and fired at him. Cooper then tried to force his way into the home, gun in hand. A deputy fired at Cooper and hit him. He was taken to a local hospital, where he died of his injuries.
The incident is the 70th shooting involving a law enforcement officer the GBI has been asked to investigate in 2020.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution also tracks officer-involved shootings that don’t involve the GBI, and those numbers sometimes differ from the GBI’s tally.
About the Author
Asia Simone Burns is a watchdog reporter for the AJC. Burns was formerly an intern in AJC’s newsroom and now writes about crime. She is a graduate of Samford University and has previously reported for NPR and WABE, Atlanta’s NPR member station.
