Holly Springs, GA – A Holly Springs police officer was killed in the line of duty during a traffic stop Thursday morning, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI).
The GBI said it is handling the incident at the request of the Holly Springs Police Department (HSPD).
“The incident started as a traffic stop,” the agency tweeted early Thursday morning. “At this point, we are still working to gather details and will provide updates as we learn more.”
The GBI confirmed that a HSPD officer and a male suspect had died during an officer-involved shooting.
The identities of the officer and the suspect have not been released.
“We are in the process of notifying the officer’s family members and attempting a positive identification of the suspect,” HSPD spokesperson Officer April Van Alstine said in a statement, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The GBI is investigating an officer involved shooting at the request of the Holly Springs Police Department. A Holly Springs Police Officer has died. A male suspect has died. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/UyVlcICWCV
— GA Bureau of Investigation (@GBI_GA) June 17, 2021
Details regarding the events that led up to the fatal shooting have not been released.
Officer Alstine further noted that the investigation into the incident is still “very active.”
According to the Cherokee Sheriff’s Office, (CSO) a stretch of Hickory Road from New Light Road to Little Road has been shut down due to the ongoing investigation, WXIA reported.
The CSO said the area will remain closed throughout Thursday morning and asked residents to avoid travel to that section of the county.
The HSPD officer’s death marks the fourth line-of-duty death in the state of Georgia this year, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
#BREAKINGNEWS Holly Springs: Officer involved shooting investigation has shut down Hickory Road between New Light Rd & E. Cherokee Dr. #ATLtraffic @wsbradio #skycopter @wsbtv #captncam pic.twitter.com/eg0VM72QsS
— Mark McKay (@mckayWSB) June 17, 2021
The Governor's Office of Highway Safety offers its heartfelt condolences to the Holly Springs Police Department and to the family of the officer killed in the line of duty last night. pic.twitter.com/l53LEfXY62
— Georgia Governor's Office of Highway Safety (@gohsgeorgia) June 17, 2021
NOW: This is the scene at Hickory Rd and New Light Rd in Holly Springs – the road is closed as the @GBI_GA investigates after an officer involved shooting this morning. Sadly an officer with Holly Springs PD was killed in the line of duty, suspect also killed. @FOX5Atlanta pic.twitter.com/k2kt4aybao
— Billy Heath III (@BillyHeathFOX5) June 17, 2021
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Sandy Malone
