A man was killed Sunday in an exchange of gunfire with officers at an Athens gas station, officials said.
Shortly after 1 a.m., Athens-Clarke County police initially responded to a Verizon store near Lexington and Gaines School roads after getting a call about a man who was waving a “machine gun” around, according to the GBI. The busy intersection sits between several shopping centers near Satterfield Park.
After officers arrived, the suspect, identified as 26-year-old Marquavious Sims, ran across Gaines School Road to the parking lot of a QuikTrip gas station. Officers chased Sims and repeatedly shouted at the suspect to drop the gun, the GBI said.
“At one point, Sims turned and fired the gun at the pursuing officers. Two officers returned fire, hitting Sims multiple times,” according to the state agency.
Sims was given medical aid at the scene before being taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead, the GBI said. No officers were injured.
The GBI was asked to conduct an independent investigation. Sims’ body will be taken to the GBI Crime Lab in Decatur for an autopsy. Once the investigation is finished, the case will be given to the Clarke District Attorney’s Office for review.
The incident was the second officer-involved shooting the GBI had been asked to investigate within two days and the 49th in the state this year.
On Friday, a wanted suspect was shot and killed by Cobb County police at a Walgreens on Cobb Parkway near Cumberland Boulevard.
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