A traffic stop turned fatal yesterday afternoon when deputies shot and killed an armed driver in Coweta County, authorities say.
The incident occurred around 1:22 p.m. near mile marker 34 on Interstate 85, where deputies had pulled over the man for a traffic violation. When conducting a roadside interview, the man ran back to his vehicle and entered the driver's side, prompting deputies to attempt to pull him out using a Taser.
According to officials, the man then produced a gun from inside his vehicle and fired multiple times at the deputies, who returned fire hitting the man at least once. The man died at the scene without injuring any of the deputies involved.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) has been called in to investigate the shooting, which is standard protocol when an officer or deputy fires a weapon during an incident. Parts of I-85's southbound lanes were shut down due to the investigation.
Background: This marks the latest in a string of police-involved shootings across the country this year. The GBI will lead the independent investigation into yesterday's events, which are expected to take several weeks or months to complete.