GBI Investigates Fatal Officer-Involved Shooting Following Statesboro Robbery Pursuit

At the request of the Bulloch County Sheriff’s Office and the Georgia State Patrol, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) is conducting an investigation into an officer-involved shooting in Bulloch County, Georgia. The incident unfolded on June 27, 2024, following a reported armed robbery at the Marathon gas station located on US Highway 80 in Statesboro.

According to preliminary information, at approximately 9:55 p.m., Bulloch County 911 received a report of an armed robbery involving a man driving a U-Haul truck. Responding deputies spotted a U-Haul truck matching the suspect’s description and attempted to initiate a traffic stop. The driver of the truck refused to pull over, prompting a pursuit that involved both Bulloch County Sheriff’s deputies and Georgia State Patrol troopers.

The pursuit continued through Statesboro and into the county, with authorities making several attempts to stop the U-Haul truck using tactics such as stop sticks and the PIT maneuver. The pursuit culminated on Highway 301 at Brooks Hendrix Road, where a trooper successfully performed a PIT maneuver. However, the maneuver caused the U-Haul to veer off the road, striking a power pole before coming to a stop in a wooded area.

Following the crash, deputies and troopers approached the U-Haul truck and issued verbal commands to the driver to exit the vehicle. The driver reportedly ignored these commands and instead drove the truck towards law enforcement officers. In response, multiple deputies and a trooper fired their weapons at the driver.

The driver, whose identity has not been released pending notification of next of kin, was pronounced dead at the scene. His body is scheduled to undergo an autopsy at the GBI Crime Lab in Pooler, Georgia.

The GBI has assumed responsibility for an independent investigation into the incident. Upon completion, the case file will be forwarded to the Ogeechee Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office for review.