A high-speed chase in northwest Georgia on Tuesday came to an end when deputies shot and killed the driver trying to evade custody, authorities said.
Officials identified the suspect as Chris Honea, a 26-year-old Rossville man, and said he “made a movement toward his waist” as officers closed in to arrest him. That’s when the officers opened fire on Honea, who died at the scene.
Now the GBI is investigating the 42nd officer-involved shooting the state agency has been asked to handle this year.
According to GBI officials, the incident began when Ringgold police attempted to stop Honea’s car for speeding southbound on I-75. The chase ensued when Honea refused to stop and it eventually reached Gordon County, where deputies there took the lead, the GBI said in a statement.
They performed a PIT maneuver on Honea’s car, which caused it to swerve off the interstate and go down an embankment, according to the statement.
Even after the crash, Honea refused to follow authorities’ commands as they tried taking him into custody, investigators said. GBI officials said the Gordon County deputies shot at Honea when he appeared to reach for his waist. The GBI did not say if a weapon was found at the scene.
The GBI Medical Examiner’s Office will conduct Honea’s autopsy.
No deputies were injured during Tuesday’s shooting.
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.
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