The suspect in the shooting of deputy Joe Buice, whose name was not released by authorities, had threatened to commit suicide and was shot and killed by deputies of the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office. A motorist, who was driving in the area, was also shot by the suspect and was in critical condition when airlifted to Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta.
Spalding County Sheriff's Office deputies responded to a suicide threat shortly before 5 p.m. at the residence, Sheriff's Office Capt. Tony Ranieri said.
Deputy Joe Buice was shot in the face by the man who had been threatening to commit suicide, and then law enforcement officers shot and killed the man.
A male motorist who was driving in the area was also shot by the suspect.
The deputy is in critical but stable condition, said Ranieri, who heads the Sheriff's Office's Criminal Investigation Division. The motorist is in critical condition.
Medical helicopters transported the injured deputy and the motorist to Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is investigating the incident, Sheriff Dee Stewart said.
Buice, a former Lamar County sheriff, was hired as a deputy about six months ago.
Four patrol cars had bullet holes in them following the incident, said a source familiar with the investigation.
— For more on this story, see the GDN Web site later today and Saturday's print edition.
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