Suspect Who Stabbed Sandy Springs Police Officer Also Killed Firefighter, Police Say

SANDY SPRINGS, GA — Authorities have identified the person they say stabbed a police officer Friday before being shot in the living room of a Sandy Springs home, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

Matthew Lanz, 22, of Acworth, was arrested Friday and is facing multiple charges after he allegedly attacked a Sandy Springs police officer and stabbed him repeatedly in the back and neck.

Lanz was also arrested in connection with the deaths of Cherokee County firefighter Timothy Justin Hicks, 31, and his wife Amber Hicks, also 31, who were found dead in their Acworth home Thursday morning.

• RELATED: 1 Arrested After Cherokee Firefighter, Wife Found Dead In Home

According to earlier reports, officers were called to an area of Cameron Glen Drive around 8:40 a.m. Friday after a report of a break-in. They confronted Lanz, who was still inside a home when officers arrived.

A struggle took place between Lanz and Sandy Springs officers, during which Lanz attacked one of the officers, stabbing him multiple times throughout his body, Sandy Springs spokesman Sgt. Sal Ortega told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Another officer was shot while attempting to stop the stabbing.

Lanz was ultimately shot after he refused to follow commands and continued to fight with officers, according to a GBI statement.

The shooting followed a string of morning break-ins in the neighborhood off Heards Ferry Road, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, where multiple homeowners had reported burglaries prior to the confrontation between Lanz and police.

Both officers and Lanz were taken to local hospitals where they were treated and released. Lanz was also released and remains in custody at the Fulton County jail.

Lanz is facing multiple charges in connection with the Sandy Springs burglaries and stabbing, including 10 counts of attempted murder on a police officer, the AJC reported.

He is also facing two counts of attempted murder, two counts of aggravated assault, home invasion, and possession of a firearm in connection with the deaths of Hicks and his wife, according to Cobb County police.

• RELATED: Stabbed Officer, Shot Burglary Suspect Taken To Hospital: Police

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation will conduct an independent investigation, which it plans to turn over to the Fulton County District Attorney’s office for review.