GBI Investigates Officer Involved Shooting in Athens

Athens, GA (January 7, 2023) – The GBI is investigating an officer involved shooting in Athens, GA. The Athens-Clarke County Police Department (ACCPD) asked the GBI to conduct an independent investigation on Saturday, January 7, 2023. One man was shot and killed. No officers were injured in this incident.

Preliminary information indicates that on Friday, January 6, 2023, at 11:45 p.m., ACCPD officers located a stolen car in the driveway of a home off Smokey Road in Athens. Three ACCPD officers tried to locate anyone at the residence to investigate further. Two officers encountered two men in a shed in the yard. One of the men, identified as Clinton Eli Burkhalter, age 42, of Athens, had his hands behind his back. Burkhalter refused to show the officers his hands and then put a gun to his head. As the officers took cover, Burkhalter fired several shots into the ceiling of the shed. Burkhalter then began coming out of the building with the gun pointed at the officers. The two officers shot Burkhalter. He fell to the ground, but still had the gun in his hand. The officer’s maintained cover until additional units arrived. EMS arrived and pronounced Burkhalter dead. The GBI Medical Examiner’s Office will perform an autopsy on Burkhalter.

The GBI will conduct an independent investigation. Once complete, the case file will be given to the Western Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office for review.