A man shot and killed by a Gwinnett County police officer early Thursday was known to officers, the department said.
Steven Hutchins, 27, of Buford, was killed after someone called 911 just before 4 a.m. to report an armed man walking along Peachtree Industrial and Nelson Brogdon boulevards near the Buford and Sugar Hill areas, Gwinnett police Cpl. Michele Pihera said.
When officers encountered him, they noticed a weapon and started talking to him.
“We did see the weapon in his waistband,” Pihera said. “And at one point, the suspect took the weapon out of his waistband and started aiming it or pointing it at our officers.”
According to police, Hutchins was instructed to drop the weapon.
Officer Walter Pollock fired at least one round, hitting him, according to authorities.
A SWAT medic who happened to be on the scene immediately offered aid until Gwinnett fire crews arrived, Pihera said.
Hutchins died on the scene. No officers were injured.
“Right now, we don’t believe that the suspect fired any rounds at any of our officers,” Pihera said.
Officers had just been called to Hutchins’ home about 9 p.m. Monday regarding a suicide attempt. The home is on Gold Creek Trail, not far from the shooting scene.
“According to the text of the call, the subject refused all medical treatment,” Pihera said.
And Hutchins had reached out to police on Sept. 5, 2017, to report his roommate was involved in a theft, according to officials.
Police do not know who called 911 Thursday morning. A camera from a nearby business captured Hutchins walking through the parking lot, according to Channel 2 Action News. However, it did not capture the shooting, the news station reported.
All northbound lanes of Peachtree Industrial Boulevard were temporarily closed headed toward Hall County, according to the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center. Lanes started to reopen just before 7:40 a.m.
The GBI is investigating the incident — the third deadly shooting in less than a week involving a Georgia police officer.
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