SWAT Standoff in Atlanta Suburb Results in Man’s Death and Officer Injuries

ROSWELL, Ga.—A bulletproof vest saved the life of a SWAT officer just moments before he returned fire and fatally shot a man who was fleeing on Friday in an Atlanta suburb, according to the police chief.

A SWAT team in Roswell was executing arrest and search warrants when a man bolted from the back of a residence and confronted an officer, explained Police Chief James Conroy during a news conference. The fleeing suspect fired a handgun, hitting the officer twice in the chest, prompting the officer to return fire and kill the individual, Conroy stated.

The chief noted that while the officer sustained injuries from shrapnel, his bulletproof vest prevented more severe harm.

“The vest seems to have saved his life, but he did sustain injuries in the incident,” Conroy remarked.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is overseeing the investigation into the officer-involved shooting, as is customary in Georgia.

Officers approached the residence to arrest a man accused of discharging a firearm into the air on New Year’s Eve after he had been asked to leave a party. Conroy indicated that investigators discovered the man had a history of violent crimes.

This prompted the police to request assistance from the SWAT team, which operates collaboratively with four municipalities in northern Fulton County, to execute the warrants for reckless conduct, unlawful firearm use on someone else’s property, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Conroy could not confirm whether the deceased man was the person being sought by the police. He mentioned that the four other adults present in the house were cooperating with the investigation.

Conroy declined to disclose the identity of the injured officer or specify which police department he was affiliated with.