A traffic stop about 100 miles southeast of downtown Atlanta turned deadly Wednesday when a passenger in the vehicle was shot with his own gun, authorities said.
The GBI is investigating after the man, identified as 22-year-old Dequane Rayshun Williams, was killed during a struggle with a Georgia State Patrol trooper in Hancock County.
“The preliminary investigation indicates that no law enforcement officers fired their weapons during the incident and Williams’ wounds are self-inflicted,” GBI spokeswoman Nelly Miles said in a news release.
Williams first encountered a Hancock County sheriff’s deputy about 6:30 p.m. during a traffic stop on Fairmont Road in Sparta. According to the GBI, Williams exited the vehicle and approached the deputy, who recognized him as a wanted man.
Williams reportedly took off running, followed closely by two deputies and the trooper.