Teen Fatally Shot by Gwinnett County Police After Charging Officers with Knife in Sugar Hill

On Friday, August 23rd, at 4:26 p.m., the Gwinnett County Police Department received a 911 call from a 17-year-old male. The caller reported that he was armed with a knife and handgun near the roundabout at Whitehead Road and West Broad Street in Sugar Hill. He told emergency dispatchers that he was a danger to himself and others.

Police officers were dispatched to the scene, and the Gwinnett County Police Behavioral Health Unit was notified. A licensed mental health clinician was sent to the location and contacted the male by phone while en route. During the conversation, the male expressed that he was suicidal and suffering from depression.

Upon arriving at the roundabout, officers found the male standing in the roadway, holding a knife. The officers positioned themselves down the road and commanded the male to drop the knife. The clinician and officers attempted to negotiate with him for several minutes. Despite these efforts, the male suddenly began charging at two officers, sprinting towards them with the knife in hand. As he approached, he swung the knife at the officers, prompting them to fire their weapons. The male was struck at least once.

Officers immediately called for medical assistance from the Gwinnett County Fire Department, but the male succumbed to his injuries and died at the scene.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) will handle the investigation of this officer-involved shooting, following Gwinnett County Police Department policy. The names of the individuals involved are being withheld until next of kin have been notified.