Adairsville Man Shot and Killed by SWAT After Threatening Officers and Witnesses

At the request of the Bartow County Sheriff’s Office, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) is investigating an officer-involved shooting in Bartow County. The incident, which occurred on August 18, 2024, resulted in the death of Chris Cochran, 60, of Adairsville, GA. No officers were injured in the shooting.

The incident began around 4 p.m. when Bartow County Sheriff’s Office deputies were called to a residence on Wesley Mill Drive in Adairsville. Cochran had made death threats against his wife and a crisis intervention team that was assisting her. Cochran’s wife and the intervention team had sought refuge in a neighbor’s house across the street. Deputies arrived to protect them.

Cochran, known to possess a large number of rifles, re-entered his home and began breaking windows while threatening to kill those outside. SWAT was deployed to secure the area and attempt to take Cochran into custody.

Cochran, armed with a long gun, pointed the weapon out of a second-story window and threatened the SWAT team, deputies, and witnesses. A SWAT officer fired at Cochran, who was pronounced dead at the scene by the Bartow County Coroner’s Office. His body will be transported to the GBI Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy.

The GBI is conducting an independent investigation. The completed file will be forwarded to the Cherokee Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office for review.