A 40-year-old Hampton man was shot and killed by Lovejoy police Friday after he pointed a handgun at them during a traffic stop, officials said.
At about 8:45 a.m., an officer noticed a suspicious car in a Lovejoy parking lot and went over to check its registration, according to the GBI. The officer got close and saw a man, identified as Jean Cesar, who appeared to be “racking the slide of a handgun,” the state agency said.
“As the officer gave Cesar orders to drop the gun, Cesar pointed the gun towards the officer,” the GBI said. “The officer fired his weapon, fatally wounding Cesar.”
No officers were injured during the incident, officials said. Cesar’s body will be taken to the GBI’s Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy.
It was the 80th officer-involved shooting that the GBI was asked to investigate in 2024. At the same time last year, the state agency had open investigations into 94 such incidents.
After the GBI investigation, the case file will be given to the Clayton County District Attorney’s Office for review.
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