The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) is currently looking into an officer-involved shooting that occurred in Lagrange, GA. The incident, which left one man, Cody Porter, age 32, with non-life-threatening injuries, unfolded yesterday morning. According to a press release from the GBI, no officers sustained injuries during the altercation.
Per the preliminary details shared by GBI, Lagrange Police Department officers encountered Porter, who was known to have several active felony probation violation warrants, around midnight on Laurel Lane. Officers attempted to arrest him after observing that he was armed with a machete. Porter resisted, leading to a foot chase involving additional officers from the Lagrange PD and the Troup County Sheriff’s Office.
The pursuit saw officers using tasers and a Bola Wrap, but to no avail; Porter kept fleeing and refused to surrender the weapon. The confrontation came to a head along the 200 block of Laurel Lane, where officers made multiple attempts to disarm Porter peacefully, utilizing less-than-lethal pepper balls, which were also unsuccessful. In a statement obtained by the GBI, during a verbal standoff, Porter escalated the situation by raising and then throwing the machete at the officers, prompting one officer to discharge their firearm, striking Porter in the leg.
Porter was promptly transported to Piedmont Midtown Hospital for treatment before being charged with Aggravated Assault and the aforementioned probation violations. He is now being held at the Troup County Jail. The GBI has called for community assistance, urging anyone with relevant information to contact their Columbus office or submit tips anonymously through various channels, including an online portal and a mobile app.
This officer-involved shooting investigation remains active. The GBI will eventually hand over its findings to the Coweta Judicial Circuit District Attorney's Office for further review.
