Man Dead After Overnight Police Response in Athens; GBI Investigates

ATHENS, Georgia – A man is dead following a late-night encounter with Athens-Clarke County police, prompting the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) to open an inquiry.

Police were called to Hull Road just before 1:00 a.m. after a 911 call reported someone firing a gun. According to the GBI, officers on the scene repeatedly instructed the man to drop his weapon. Officials say he refused and subsequently pointed the gun at his own head and fired.

The GBI has not clarified whether the man died from a self-inflicted gunshot or from a round fired by an officer, noting that one officer also discharged their weapon during the incident.

The involved officer has been placed on administrative leave, a standard protocol while the shooting is under investigation. The identity of the deceased man has not yet been released.