Officers Shoot, Kill Man With Rifle At Atlanta Restaurant

ATLANTA, GA — Off-duty Fulton County Sheriff's Office deputies shot and killed a man at an Atlanta bar and restaurant early Friday after authorities say he picked up a rifle in the business's parking lot.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is looking into the death of Norris Duffy, 46, who was shot and killed outside The Ivory Restaurant, at 599 Whitehall St. in southwest Atlanta. The shooting happened at about 4:50 a.m.

According to a preliminary GBI investigation, three Fulton sheriff's office deputies were working as security and found Duffy inside the restaurant arguing with someone else. They used a Taser to break up the altercation and Duffy was handcuffed, the GBI said.

(For more news like this, find your local Patch here. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app; download the free Patch Android app here.)

They later released him and escorted him out of the restaurant and to his vehicle. That's when he pulled a rifle from his vehicle, according to investigators. One of the deputies fired several times, striking Duffy. He was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

None of the officers was injured in the shooting. The Ivory is located west of the state capitol building and near the Atlanta University Center.

As is customary in Georgia, the GBI will conduct an independent investigation of the officer-involved shooting. Once completed, the case will be turned over to the Fulton County District Attorney's office for review.

The shooting was the second time this week that an off-duty law enforcement officer shot someone in Atlanta. On Monday, William Savalas Davis, 38, was shot by an off-duty Georgia State University police officer who was working security at the Greyhound Station on Forsyth Street.

According to the GBI, Davis had reportedly been behaving erratically and harassing customers in and outside the station. He struggled with the officer, even after being sprayed with pepper spray, and the officer fired once, striking him. He was taken to Grady, where he was listed in stable condition.

Patch file photo by Renee Schiavone