An Evans County deputy shot and killed a man who threw rocks at the officer during a chase early Saturday and then lunged at him, the GBI said.
The fatal officer-involved shooting occurred shortly before 1 a.m. when the sheriff’s office responded to the intersection of Ga. 169 and Archie Mitchell Road in Claxton after receiving a call about a man standing in the middle of the road, authorities said.
The deputy arrived and located 47-year-old Yassin Mohamad, who reportedly had several encounters with law enforcement in the 12 hours leading up to the incident.
“When the deputy attempted to make contact with Mohamad, he fled from the deputy and an altercation ultimately ensued,” the GBI said Saturday in a news release.
According to investigators, Mohamad picked up several rocks and threw them at the deputy, hitting him once. He then charged the deputy while holding a larger rock, prompting the deputy to shoot him, the GBI said.
The 47-year-old died at the scene.
The deputy, who was not identified, wasn’t seriously injured during the encounter, officials said. The incident marks the 38th officer-involved shooting the GBI has been asked to investigate this year.
Mohamad’s body will be taken to the GBI Crime Lab for an autopsy, authorities said. Once the agency’s investigation is complete, the findings will be turned over to the Atlantic Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office for review.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution also tracks officer-involved shootings that don't involve the GBI, and those numbers sometimes differ from the GBI's tally.
Claxton is located about 52 miles west of Savannah and approximately 200 miles southeast of downtown Atlanta.
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