Columbus, GA (December 20, 2021) – The GBI is investigating an officer-involved shooting in Columbus, GA. The Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office asked the GBI to conduct an independent investigation on Wednesday, December 16, 2021. One deputy was injured in this incident.
The preliminary information indicates that on Wednesday, December 15, 2021, at around 7:00 p.m., a Muscogee County deputy was stopped by a man who reported that his car had just been stolen from the Circle K gas station located at 7330 Veterans Parkway in Columbus, Georgia. The man, a FedEx driver, had his package scanner in the car and deputies were able to track the car to the intersection of Toney Drive and Buford Avenue.
Deputies initiated a traffic stop on the stolen car with one deputy blocking the front of the truck and the other deputy behind it. The suspect backed the car into the rear deputy’s patrol car and then pulled forward, hitting a deputy in the leg. Both deputies fired their handguns multiple times at the car as the suspect drove away. The FedEx package scanner was later found at the intersection of Victory Drive and Engineer Drive.
Police recovered the abandoned stolen car on Thursday night, December 16, 2021. The GBI determined that the car was hit twice with gunfire that did not penetrate the passenger compartment. Police have not located or identified the suspect at this time.
The injured deputy was treated and released from the hospital.
Anyone with information about this investigation may contact the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s Columbus Regional Investigative Office at (706) 565-7888. Anonymous tips can also be submitted by calling 1(800) 597-TIPS (8477), online at https://gbi.georgia.gov/submit-tips-online, or by downloading the See Something, Send Something mobile app.
The GBI will conduct an independent investigation. Once complete, the case file will be provided to the Muscogee County District Attorney’s Office for review.