Police on Monday identified a knife-wielding man who was fatally shot by a Gwinnett County police officer at a Lawrenceville apartment complex.
The man was spotted Saturday using a large knife to damage a car in the parking lot of the Tanglewoods Apartments, according to a person who called 911.
When a Gwinnett County police officer showed up to investigate, the man didn’t drop the knife -- and instead lunged forward with the weapon in his hand, according to Cpl. David Schiralli of Gwinnett police.
Fearing for his safety, the officer shot the man, who later died at a nearby hospital, Schiralli said. Police on Monday identified the deceased as Gene Mason Bagley, 59, of Lawrenceville. They said the officer was James T. Tait, who has been with the department since 2005.
Tait was been placed on administrative leave, which is routine during an internal investigation, police said.
Investigators continue to interview witnesses, but for now, police say it’s unclear what the man was doing at the 5355 Sugarloaf Parkway apartments early Saturday. Officers said they don’t know whether he lived there or what his motive was to damage the car.
Staff writer Ty Tagami contributed to this article.
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