Sheriff's deputies shot and killed a man they thought was walking through a Carroll County neighborhood with a rifle, the GBI said.
The weapon turned out to be a BB or pellet gun, but authorities did not learn that until after the deadly shooting, which occurred about 11 p.m. Monday on West Lakeview Drive and Bar J Road near Temple.
A homeowner in the West Lakeview Estates called 911 about 30 minutes before the shooting and told authorities someone was walking in the backyard with a rifle, the GBI told Channel 2 Action News.
Deputies searched for the man and found him hiding in a wooded area. He pointed the weapon at them, and the deputies ordered him to drop it, the news station reported. He did not obey those commands, prompting deputies to open fire.
They fired several rounds, GBI spokesman Chris DeMarco said.
The 33-year-old man was taken to Tanner Medical Center in Villa Rica, where he died.
The deputies were not injured, sheriff's Capt. Jeff Richards told Channel 2.
The GBI is looking into the shooting, which is standard protocol in use-of-force cases.
In 2017, the agency investigated 95 officer-involved shootings. So far this year there have been 15 officer-involved shootings.