October 25th, 2023 - Douglas County, Georgia

Published October 25th, 2023

A Douglas County, Georgia, deputy sheriff was shot Wednesday morning. At approximately 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, deputies with the Douglas County Sheriff's Office were dispatched to a reported domestic disturbance at a residence on North Bear Road. Upon arrival, deputies found a 66-year-old male resident of the home on the kitchen floor suffering from a gunshot wound. A female resident told deputies that another resident of the home, a 27-year-old-male, who had shot the man on the kitchen floor, was in an adjacent room. As deputies entered the adjacent room and encountered the 27-year-old male, he disregarded deputies' instructions to show his hands and opened fire on the deputies. The officers returned fire, and in the exchange of gunfire, one of the deputies was struck by gunfire three times, twice in his ballistic-resistant vest and once in the shoulder. The shooter was also struck by the deputies' gunfire.

The 66-year-old male who had been shot died at the scene from his injuries. The injured deputy and suspect were transported to a local hospital for treatment of their injuries. The deputy is expected to make a full recovery. The incident remains under investigation by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.