GBI Investigates Officer Involved Shooting in Athens, GA

Athens, Clarke County, GA (May 12, 2026) - At the request of the Athens-Clarke County Police Department, GBI agents are investigating an officer involved shooting in Athens, Clarke County, GA. One man was killed in the incident. No officers were injured.

Preliminary information indicates that on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, at about 12:43 a.m., Athens-Clarke County Police Department officers responded to the 1000 block of Hull Road regarding a 911 call involving a male who had fired a gun. The caller indicated that more than one gunshot had been fired. When officers arrived at the scene, they encountered a man matching the caller’s description. Officers gave several verbal commands for the man to put down the gun, but the man refused to comply. The man then pointed the gun to his head. The man fired the gun, and one officer fired their weapon. The man was hit by gunfire, and was pronounced deceased at the scene.

The man’s body will be taken to the GBI Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy and positive identification.

The GBI will conduct an independent investigation. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the GBI’s Regional Investigative Office in Athens, GA at (706) 552-2309. Anonymous tips can also be submitted by calling 1-800-597-TIPS (8477), online at https://gbi.georgia.gov/submit-tips-online, or by downloading the See Something, Send Something mobile app.

Once the investigation is complete, the case file will be given to the to the Northern Judicial Circuit District Attorney's Office for review.