GBI Investigating Death of Man After Police Use of Force in Cobb County

COBB COUNTY, GEORGIA – The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) has launched an inquiry into a use of force incident in Cobb County that resulted in the death of 47-year-old Timothy Lyle Sheats of Dallas, Georgia. No officers were injured during the encounter.

According to preliminary information, the incident unfolded around 6:10 p.m. on October 21, 2025, after Cobb County Police Department officers were dispatched to a hit-and-run motor vehicle accident.

When the first officer arrived at the scene, he encountered a man, later identified as Sheats, walking down the roadway. Sheats reportedly told the officer that he had been shot, though the officer did not observe any visible injuries.

For safety reasons, the officer asked Sheats to get inside his patrol car, but Sheats refused and began walking into traffic. At one point, investigators say Sheats attempted to enter a passing vehicle, creating a dangerous situation both for himself and others on the roadway.

In an effort to stop Sheats from running into traffic and to gain control of the situation, the officer deployed his Taser. Additional officers arrived shortly afterward to assist in restraining Sheats, who was eventually secured.

Emergency Medical Services (EMS) were called to the scene to evaluate Sheats, but during their assessment, he became unresponsive. Paramedics transported him to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The GBI confirmed that an autopsy will be conducted to determine the exact cause and manner of death. The Cobb County Medical Examiner’s Office is handling the postmortem examination.

The GBI’s investigation remains active and ongoing, and once complete, the findings will be turned over to the Cobb County District Attorney’s Office for independent review.