GBI investigating after Pickens deputy shoots man armed with BB gun

The GBI is investigating a shooting involving a Pickens County deputy and a man wielding a BB gun, the agency said Tuesday.

At 2:30 p.m. Monday, a 911 caller asked deputies to conduct a wellness check on a man at a Jasper home, the GBI said. The man, Chris Childers, 46, was believed to be armed with a replica gun and said he wanted deputies to kill him.

Deputies repeatedly asked Childers to put down the weapon, the GBI said in an emailed statement.

“Childers put the gun down and then picked the gun up again, at which time he was shot by the responding deputy,” the GBI said.

Two deputies rendered aid to Childers, who was taken to a hospital for treatment. His condition was not released.

Investigators said the weapon Childers had was a BB pistol.

“The GBI determined that the weapon Childers was armed with was a PFM16 CO2 powered BB pistol, which has the appearance of a standard firearm,” the GBI said.

When the GBI investigation is complete, the case will be forwarded to the Appalachian Judicial Circuit’s district attorney for review.

The incident is the seventh shooting involving a law enforcement officer that the GBI has been asked to investigate this year. 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

Alexis Stevens

Alexis Stevens is a member of the Crime and Public Safety team.

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