LOCUST GROVE, Ga. (AP) — Authorities in a suburb of Atlanta reported that early Thursday, police shot and killed a man in a house that was on fire. They subsequently discovered a woman dead with burns and managed to rescue two adults and a child from a bedroom inside the home.
Locust Grove Police Chief Derrick Austin stated that officers responded around 3:40 a.m. to a call about a house fire with individuals trapped. They entered through the back door and encountered a man brandishing a large knife. Despite commands to drop the weapon, the man did not comply, leading police to use a Taser and a bean bag shotgun, but both attempts failed to subdue him.
“Ultimately, they resorted to lethal force with their firearms, resulting in the suspect being shot by Locust Grove officers,” Austin explained to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The man died before he could be taken to a hospital.
Officers located the woman deceased with burns in an upstairs bedroom that was ablaze, according to Austin. The cause of her death remains undetermined. The three other individuals had secured themselves in a different bedroom, and police successfully escorted them out to safety.
Officials are investigating what caused the fire. “We assume it’s arson, but we don’t know,” Austin said.
Officials in the town, situated roughly 30 miles (50 kilometers) southeast of downtown Atlanta, have not released the identities of the deceased or clarified if all the individuals were related.
No officers were injured. Firefighters put out the fire.
The incident is currently being investigated by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, following standard protocols. Subsequently, the Henry County district attorney will decide whether to bring any criminal charges.
