What began as a Tuesday morning patrol stop ended in a fatal shooting near the intersection of East Victory Drive and Bull Street, after police say a 35-year-old Savannah man attacked two officers who had stopped to question him. Medics transported the man to a local hospital, where he later died, and both officers were treated for their injuries and released, authorities said. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has taken over the case and said it will perform an autopsy before sending its findings to the Eastern Judicial Circuit district attorney's office for review.
State Investigators Detail Morning Confrontation
According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, two Savannah Police Department officers on patrol saw a man outside a closed business and stopped to question him at about 7:15 a.m. on June 23, 2026. Investigators say the man attacked one officer, then tried to go after the second. One of the officers fired at least one shot that hit him.
The agency said the man's body will be taken to its crime lab in Pooler for an autopsy. The GBI has asked anyone with information to contact its Statesboro regional office at (912) 871-1121 or call the tip line at 1-800-597-TIPS (8477).
Man Killed Identified As Savannah Resident
The man has been identified as Nicholaus Oxendine, 35, of Savannah, according to CBS News Atlanta. The outlet reported that one officer fired at least one shot during the confrontation, that medics transported Oxendine to a nearby hospital where he later died, and that both officers were treated and released.
Independent Probe Headed To Prosecutors
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation says it is conducting an independent investigation and, once it is complete, will forward the case file to the Eastern Judicial Circuit District Attorney's Office so prosecutors can decide whether to bring charges. The planned autopsy at the GBI crime lab in Pooler will help establish the cause and manner of death.
Officials have not released the names of the officers involved.
Shooting Joins String Of Police Incidents Under Review
The shooting adds to a string of officer-involved incidents in Chatham County and elsewhere in Georgia that have prompted GBI reviews this year. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Atlanta Journal-Constitution project and related reporting compile police-shooting cases statewide and show several GBI-led investigations in recent months.
This story will be updated as officials release more information.
