'Suicide Attempt' Call Made Days Before Man Killed By Police

BUFORD, GA — The man who was shot and killed by a Gwinnett County Police officer Thursday has been identified and police say he had made a "suicide attempt" call just days prior to the incident.

The deceased has been identified as Steven D. Hutchins, 27, of Buford. He recently lived at a home on Gold Creek Trail, a short walking distance to the incident location, according to police. Notification has been made to his next-of-kin in Illinois.

Police report that on Jan. 22, shortly before 9 p.m., officers assigned to the North Precinct responded to Hutchins' residence in response to a “suicide attempt” call. According to the text of the call, the subject refused all medical treatment.

On Sept. 5, 2017, Hutchins made a police report about a theft involving his roommate.

Original story:

A Gwinnett County Police officer shot and killed a man in an early morning confrontation on Peachtree Industrial Boulevard, in Buford, after a 911 caller reported a man with a fire arm walking near State Route 20. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is handling the shooting, which took place before 4 a.m.

Officers arrived within minutes and confronted a white man in front of a laundromat in the strip shopping center, according to the Gwinnett Police. They could see that the man had a weapon in his waistband. The officers tried talking to the man. At one point, the man pulled the gun out of his waistband and began to raise it at the officers.

One of the officers fired at the man striking him. One of the responding officers was a SWAT medic and he immediately began to render aid while waiting on the response from the Gwinnett County Fire Department, according to the Gwinnett Police. The fire department responded to the scene and determined that the man was deceased. Resting beside his body was a black firearm.

Because an officer was involved and the shooting resulted in a death, the GBI was contacted to conduct an external investigation. This is a standard protocol that has been in place since April 2015.

There is a surveillance camera mounted on the exterior of the building, near the scene. At this time, it is unclear if this event was captured on film. Once the businesses begin to open up, investigators will also try to determine if this event was recorded by any other security cameras.

Once notification is made to his next-of-kin, police say the deceased man's name will be released.

Photo courtesy Gwinnett County Police Department