A late-night police response to a reported mental-health crisis outside the Publix in the New Macland Road shopping center ended in fatal gunfire Tuesday, after Powder Springs officers say the person involved produced a weapon. Multiple officers opened fire, then rendered medical aid before the individual was taken to a hospital, where they later died. Police say no officers or bystanders were hurt, and the person’s name is being withheld until relatives are notified.
What officials say
According to Atlanta News First, officers were dispatched around 9 p.m. to the shopping center next to Powder Springs police headquarters for reports of a person in the midst of a mental-health crisis. The outlet reports that officers made contact and, roughly an hour after the initial call, the person produced a weapon, prompting several officers to fire.
Atlanta News First also noted that investigators placed evidence markers around an SUV and throughout the parking lot while officers continued to administer medical aid until paramedics arrived.
GBI takes the lead
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation was called in to handle an independent probe, in line with the agency’s role in officer-involved shootings, according to GBI press releases. WSB-TV reported that the person was taken to a hospital, where they later died, and that the department stated no officers or members of the public were injured.
At the scene
Investigators stayed at the scene for roughly six hours, continuing to document evidence and process the area, Atlanta News First reported. The shooting unfolded in the parking lot of the Publix supermarket at 3721 New Macland Road in Powder Springs, where police say the confrontation took place.
What happens next
GBI agents will continue their independent investigation and, once it is complete, will send the case file to the Cobb County District Attorney’s Office for review, in keeping with the bureau’s standard procedures. Authorities have released few additional details while the inquiry is underway, and neither the police department nor the DA’s office has indicated when more information might be made public.
