A 26-year-old man was shot and killed by a Georgia State Patrol trooper Saturday night after officials said he reached for a gun during a traffic stop on I-85 in Coweta County.
After being shot, the GBI said the suspect, Cameron David James, drove away until he ultimately crashed on the side of the interstate and was pronounced dead.
The traffic stop happened around 8:40 p.m. when the GSP pulled over James, who was behind the wheel of a Nissan Altima on the southbound lanes of the interstate.
The GBI did not state why James was originally pulled over.
During the stop, James was removed from the vehicle by several troopers who tried to arrest him, but he resisted, the GBI said.
Soon after, a trooper fired his Taser, which didn’t work, officials said. James then reached into the car for a gun, the GBI said, leading the trooper to shoot at James, who was struck.
“After being shot, James returned to his car and drove away from the scene, traveling southbound on I-85, subsequently crashing the car on the side of the road,” the GBI said. “Troopers attempted to provide aid, but James was pronounced dead on the scene.”
No troopers were injured during the incident, which remains “active and ongoing,” the GBI said. After the investigation is completed, the case file will be given to the Coweta Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office for review.
It was the seventh officer-involved shooting the GBI has been asked to investigate in 2025. At the same time last year, the state agency had looked into one such shooting.
Anyone with more information about the gunfire is asked to contact the GBI’s Columbus office at 706-565-7888.
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