An investigation by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) is underway following an officer-involved shooting in DeKalb County. The incident occurred at the intersection of Rockbridge Rd. SW and South Indian Creek Drive in Stone Mountain. The Fulton County Sheriff’s Office requested the GBI to take on the case yesterday, as confirmed in a recent statement.
During the attempt to apprehend a fugitive wanted on charges of murder and possession of weapons out of Massachusetts, law enforcement officers, including deputies assigned to the U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force, encountered the suspect. The suspect, identified as 32-year-old Kevin Barton, fled when deputies moved in to arrest him at around 1:15 p.m., yesterday. According to the GBI's preliminary reports, Barton brandished a firearm towards deputies while running, prompting one deputy to discharge his weapon, striking Barton, who is now in stable condition at a local hospital.
No members of law enforcement were harmed in the incident. Additional charges related to Barton's actions during the attempted arrest are forthcoming from the DeKalb County Police Department. Details are sparse at the moment, but the narrative of chase, confrontation, and the almost cinematic escape halted by gunfire paints a stark reality of the risks involved in fugitive apprehension.
The incident has reignited conversations surrounding use of force by law enforcement, despite the severity of the crimes associated with the suspect. The GBI's independent investigation aims to provide a transparent review of the officer's actions, which could have taken a life. Once the investigation is concluded, the findings will be turned over to the DeKalicy County District Attorney's Office for examination. As it stands, the public waits on a vigilant precipice, looking for answers in the quest for justice and accountability.
