A quiet Sunday afternoon at a Jasper Waffle House turned into a crime scene when a Pickens County deputy shot a man deputies say was armed with a knife after he allegedly damaged cars and tried to set vehicles on fire in the parking lot. Authorities say the man ran from the restaurant and was later found on Darnell Road, where he allegedly threw a knife at a deputy before being shot. He was taken to a hospital, and no deputies were reported injured. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is now handling the case.
According to the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were first called to the Waffle House at Highway 515 and Highway 53 in Jasper around 1:20 p.m. Sunday on reports of a man damaging vehicles in the lot. When they later encountered him on Darnell Road, officials say he threw a knife at a deputy, prompting the deputy to fire and wound him. Those details were released by the sheriff’s office and reported by Atlanta News First.
State Investigators to Review Shooting
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is leading an independent review of the shooting, a standard step in officer-involved gunfire in Georgia. In prior public statements, the agency has said its investigations typically take about 60–90 days and include interviewing witnesses, processing physical evidence, and reviewing any available body-worn camera footage, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
Scene and Local Context
The Waffle House sits at the busy intersection of Highway 515 and Highway 53 in Jasper, a main corridor cutting through Pickens County, according to local business listings. Authorities have not released the name of the man who was shot or the deputy involved, and no charges have been announced as of Sunday, per reporting by Atlanta News First and local listings at Visit Pickens County.
What Comes Next
Once the GBI wraps its investigation, the agency will hand its findings to the appropriate prosecutor, who will decide whether any criminal charges are warranted. The GBI’s public guidance notes that agents generally do not release body-camera footage while a case is still active and emphasizes that the process takes time as evidence is gathered and analyzed, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
