FORT VALLEY, Ga. — A man was shot by a deputy in Fort Valley after a traffic stop on Tuesday afternoon, according to Peach County Sheriff Terry Deese.
Now, the GBI is stepping in to investigate.
According to the sheriff, it happened near the Marvin Garden Apartments on Atlantic Avenue in Fort Valley. Deese was out of town at a conference in Savannah, but he headed back to Peach County when he got the news around 3 p.m.
Neighbors at the apartment complex said they saw a car speed around a corner and then saw a man get out and run towards the woods. That's when they heard several shots.
Deese confirmed most of their account. He said the deputy tried to make a traffic stop, but an armed man ran from the car into some nearby woods. He did not confirm how many times the deputy shot the man.
Deese said he did not know if the man fired shots at the deputy or what the condition the man was in. The name of the deputy or the person shot has not been released.
Deese says that the deputy had no choice.
"He had to shoot him," Deese said.
The captain working the investigation told 13WMAZ he could not release any details without Sheriff Deese's approval.
He said the GBI would reach out with more information Tuesday evening. Around 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, GBI spokeswoman Nelly Miles said the information was "in queue." They still had not sent out any additional information as of 11:30 p.m.
Deese said Tuesday evening the GBI would likely continue their on-site investigation Wednesday morning.
As of last week, the GBI had investigated 76 officer-involved shootings in 2023.
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