Driver Dies in Officer-Involved Shooting On New Year's Eve

KENNESAW, GA -- The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is investigating a fatal officer-involved shooting that took place New Year's Eve in the Kennesaw area.

The agency was requested by the Woodstock Police Department, which became involved in the incident after joining a police pursuit that started in Canton.

A preliminary investigation from the state reveals that around 10:09 p.m., an officer with the Canton Police Department "made contact with the driver of a vehicle who was suspiciously parked outside of a closed business."

"The driver of the vehicle initially spoke to the officer but then fled in his vehicle, striking the officer," the agency said.

Canton officers pursued the vehicle into the Woodstock city limits, and its police department as well as the Cherokee Sheriff's Office assisted in the chase.

During the pursuit, the tires on the driver's vehicle were disabled using a tire deflation device, and the vehicle came to a stop on Interstate 75 northbound near the Wade Green Road interchange.

"The driver exited the vehicle and presented a gun during contact with law enforcement," the GBI states. "Two officers with the Woodstock Police Department fired their weapons during the incident. The driver sustained gunshot wounds and died as a result of his injuries."

The Cobb County Medical Examiner's Office will perform an autopsy on the subject. The Canton officer hit by the vehicle was treated at an area hospital and released.

No other officers were injured. The GBI will continue its investigation to determine what occurred during the incident. Once that is complete, its case file will be turned over to the Cobb County District Attorney's Office for review.

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