A 30-year-old man identified by police as Alan Joseph Chandler was killed after a standoff with law enforcement in Lavonia on Thursday, authorities said. What began as a routine lawn-mowing job reportedly turned violent when a city worker cutting grass on Roberts Street was struck, prompting an assault call. Officers later encountered a subject who refused to come out and barricaded himself inside an apartment. Georgia State Patrol troopers and a SWAT team joined Lavonia officers at the scene before shots were fired. No officers were injured, according to authorities.
What authorities say
Officers were first dispatched to Roberts Street after reports that a city employee had been assaulted while cutting grass. Police cleared the scene, but about an hour later they were called back after the situation escalated, leading to a barricade and a multiagency response. According to FOX 5 Atlanta, state troopers became involved and SWAT officers tried to make contact before gunfire was exchanged and the suspect was hit. Investigators say medical aid was provided at the scene and the man was later pronounced dead.
GBI leads independent probe
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has taken over the case, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. GBI press releases and prior officer-involved shooting notices explain that agents process the scene, submit bodies to the medical examiner and typically turn the case file over to the appropriate district attorney for charging decisions. The agency said the probe is active and investigators will release updates as they are able.
Road closures and what’s next
Multiple regional agencies, including Georgia State Patrol SWAT, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office and the Hart County Sheriff’s Office, assisted at the scene, and local police advised residents to avoid the area while officers worked. WYFF reported that Grogan Street at GA-17 and the Jones Street exit at Roberts Street were among the roads temporarily closed during the response. Authorities have not said whether the suspect fired a weapon and have not identified who fired the lethal shot. The GBI will lead the investigation and determine what charges, if any, follow.
