The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is currently looking into an officer-involved shooting that occurred in Clarkesville. The incident, which resulted in the fatal shooting of 41-year-old Aaron Allen Patterson, took place on September 7, and was followed by a subsequent request from the Habersham County Sheriff’s Office and the Clarkesville Police Department for an independent Georgia Bureau of Investigation investigation, as stated in a press release from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Patterson, a resident of Clarkesville, succumbed to his injuries on September 20.
According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the initial call came in around 6:15 p.m. for a welfare check on a potentially suicidal individual at Cameron Apartments. Clarkesville police, unable to make contact with Patterson at his apartment, were joined by a Demorest Police Officer who, saw Patterson carrying a handgun. Patterson then fled from the police officers, prompting deputies from the Habersham County Sheriff’s Office to respond in support.
The confrontation escalated when an officer later found Patterson armed with a rifle. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation press release details that, upon being addressed by the officer, "Patterson turned towards the officers with the rifle." This action provoked a response resulting in multiple officers discharging their weapons and hitting Patterson several times.
Patterson received immediate medical attention from the officers at the scene of the shooting, followed by EMS arrival, who continued to administer care. Finally, he was flown to a local hospital and remained in critical condition until his passing. The full investigation by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation is ongoing, and the results will be handed over to the Mountain Judicial Circuit District Attorney for review, the press release confirmed.
