Thomson Police Shooting Kills 72-Year-Old Man, GBI Investigating
THOMSON, Georgia – A Thomson police officer shot and killed 72-year-old Alton Hamilton on Monday afternoon after he walked out of his home holding a gun and threatening deputies, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said. The GBI is investigating the Thomson police shooting at the request of the Thomson Police Department.
No officers or deputies were hurt.
911 call led officers to Kennedy Circle
Preliminary information shows Hamilton called McDuffie County 911 at about 3:37 p.m. Monday, November 2, and made threats of violence toward law enforcement, according to the GBI.
At about 3:58 p.m., Thomson police officers and McDuffie County Sheriff’s Office deputies found Hamilton at his home in the 1000 block of Kennedy Circle. They set up a perimeter around the house and waited for the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office SWAT team to help with his arrest.
Shots fired as man walked toward deputies
At about 4:20 p.m., Hamilton walked outside toward the McDuffie County deputies. The GBI said he held a gun in the air and threatened them.
A Thomson officer fired several times and hit Hamilton. Officers gave him medical aid at the scene right away. He went to a local hospital, where he later died.
What happens next
The GBI said its investigation is active and ongoing and will be independent. When agents finish, they will turn the case file over to the Toombs Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office for review.
Anyone with information can call the GBI Regional Investigative Office in Thomson at (706) 595-2575. Anonymous tips go to the GBI Tipline at 800-597-TIPS (8477), online through the GBI’s tip submission page, or through the See Something, Send Something mobile app.
The GBI also is looking into a Winterville officer-involved shooting after a traffic stop.
