This is a developing story.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation on Monday released their report of an officer-involved shooting on Saturday, during which Savannah police shot an armed robbery suspect who pointed his gun at an officer during a chase.
GBI's preliminary investigation found that Savannah police were approached by a man around 4:25 a.m. Saturday.
He told them he was robbed at gunpoint and provided police with a description of the man who he said robbed him, as well as a name: Zachary Smith. The description and call details were put out over the radio, the GBI report read.
Later, an officer located a man fitting the description in an area between White Bluff Road and Abercorn Street. The GBI said Savannah police chased Smith through an apartment complex and commercial business area, ending in the parking lot of Home Source Rentals located at 9133 White Bluff Road.
While running, Smith pointed his weapon at the officer, and the officer fired, hitting Smith in the leg. Smith, age 24, of Ellabell, Georgia, was injured and remains in the hospital. GBI said medical aid was rendered on scene, and Smith was taken to Memorial Health University Medical Center, where he is listed in stable condition.
Agents recovered a weapon from the scene, The GBI said.
The Savannah Police Department asked the GBI to conduct an independent investigation on Saturday, February 19, 2022, at around 5:00 a.m. No officers were injured in this incident.
The GBI will conduct an independent investigation. Once complete, the case file will be provided to the Chatham County District Attorney’s Office for review.
This is the 16th officer-involved shooting the GBI has been requested to investigate in 2022.
From Saturday:
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has been called to probe a Savannah police officer-involved shooting that left one man injured early Saturday morning.
Savannah police shot an adult male around 5:00 a.m. Saturday in the 9000 block of White Bluff Road, just south of Montgomery Cross Road.
According to the latest GBI press release, preliminary information indicates, that, someone called Savannah Police at around 4:25 am, claiming they had been robbed at gunpoint. Savannah Police officers found a man fitting the description the caller gave, and chased him through an apartment complex and commercial business area. While running in the parking lot of Home Source Rentals, the man, Zachary Smith, 24, of Ellabell, Georgia, pointed his weapon at the officer, and the officer fired, hitting Smith in the leg, according to the GBI press release.
Smith was transported to an area hospital for further treatment of what police say is a non-life-threatening injury, a release from the Savannah Police department read.
No officers were injured during the encounter.
The GBI will be the primary investigating agency on this case, as they are in all Savannah police officer-involved shootings.
Check back to savannahnow.com for updates.
Will Peebles is the enterprise reporter for Savannah Morning News. He can be reached at wpeebles@gannett.com and @willpeeblessmn on Twitter.
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: GBI: Savannah police shot Ellabell man after he pointed a gun at officers
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