An armed man was shot and killed by Cobb County Police in Marietta late Saturday afternoon. As reported, police claim the man “assaulted a woman before they were called to the scene.” The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) is working to determine whether the use of deadly force was justified.
The fatal shooting happened Saturday just before 4 p.m. A witness who is alleged to have observed the assault on the woman called 911. The witness claimed the assault occurred inside a home on Michael Drive. As described by Cobb County Police Chief Stuart VanHoozer, the “escalation” of the situation rapidly occurred when the police arrived on the scene and determined the assailant “was armed with a gun.”
As described by the police, officers opened fire, hitting the assailant several times. According to Chief VanHoozer, yet undetermined is whether the assailant “pointed the weapon at police before they began shooting.” None of the officers involved were injured. Police say they then located the victim of the original assault and offered her medical treatment at the scene. “They say she did not require hospitalization, and is now safe now.”
Chief VanHoozer offered a heart-rendering perspective of the shooting and of the role of the police. VanHoozer stated, in part, “To the family and the loved ones of the deceased tonight: We certainly express our heartfelt condolences.” VanHoozer elaborated: “Our job is unfortunately full of a lot of death, but it doesn’t ever become routine to us. We realize there is a hurting family right now, and a group of friends that are mourning this evening. We mourn with them,”
VanHoozer offered insights into this type of police call. “It was a dangerous call to go to. It was a scary call to go to. They did their job … Unfortunately, it did not end the way the officers, the family and probably even the victim [of domestic violence] would’ve liked.”
Investigators believe the victim may have been the man’s girlfriend. The man was identified on Sunday by the GBI as 33-year-old Murdock Jackson. With a touch of grace, VanHoozer stated: “I would like to ask our community to hold both the family and the loved one’s of the gentleman that was killed tonight and our officers in their thoughts and prayers,”
For whatever value this statistic has, reporting indicated that this is “the 45th officer-involved shooting investigated by the GBI so far this year.”