Two Georgia police officers shot during drugs raid return fire and kill the gunman

  • Two Georgia police officers were shot while serving a warrant at around 2.10am on Monday morning
  • The men knocked on the door of the Crawford County home and then entered the residence when there was no answer
  • Once inside an occupant of the house opened fire on the two officers
  • They returned fire and were able to shot dead the individual
  • Officer William Patterson was treated at a local hospital and released while Officer James Wynn had to undergo surgery after suffering a more serious injury
  • Officer Wynn's injury is non-life threatening  

By Chris Spargo For Dailymail.com and Associated Press

Published: 07:59 EST, 12 December 2016 | Updated: 13:34 EST, 12 December 2016

Two Georgia police officers have been shot while serving a search warrant in Crawford County.

Georgia Bureau of Investigation Special Agent J.T. Ricketson tells local news outlets that members of the Peach County Drug Task Force went to serve a warrant at around 2.10am Monday to a home on state Highway 42. 

The Byron officers knocked on the door of the Crawford County home and announced themselves, but no one answered.

Ricketson says the officers then went inside the house and an occupant started shooting at them. 

The officers returned fire, killing the 35-year-old white man, whose identity has not been revealed at this time.

He was inside the home with his girlfriend and their young child at the time. 

Officer William Patterson was treated at a local hospital and released while Officer James Wynn had to undergo surgery after suffering a more serious injury, which is non-life threatening. 

Scroll down for video 

Officer William Patterson (left) was treated at a local hospital and released while Officer James Wynn (right) had to undergo surgery after suffering a more serious injury

Tragedy: Two Georgia police officers were shot while serving a warrant at around 2.10am on Monday morning (police on the scene above)

Scene: The men knocked on the door of the Crawford County home (street view above) and then entered the residence when there was no answer

Video courtesy of WMAZ 

'They knocked on the back door and announced their presence and that they were performing a search warrant,' said Ricketson.

'No one responded so they gained entry by going through the back door. As the officers were entering inside the residence an occupant inside the residence fired at least one round. It may be more.'

He then added: 'These officers returned fire after they were fired upon. I don't know how many rounds they fired. We will be determining that. One subject was struck and he is actually deceased.'

GBI agents have locked down the scene and were securing search warrants.

This comes just one month after two other officers were fatally shot in the same county.

Peach County Sheriff's Deputy Daryl Smallwood and Sgt Patrick Sondron died after they too took fire in the line of duty.

The two deputies were shot upon approaching Ralph Stanley Elrod's home on November 7 while responding to a report that he used a rifle to threaten his neighbor's two nephews who were riding a motorcycle and a four-wheeler near his property.

The two officers were taken to a hospital in Macon and are being treated for non-life threatening injuries

GBI agents have locked down the scene and were securing search warrants

During the fatal encounter, Elrod fired more than 50 rounds at Sondron and Smallwood from his handgun. 

He then went back inside his house and came out with a rifle while wearing a bulletproof vest when more officers arrived on the scene.

Police were able to take down Elrod and he was later charged with two counts of murder. 

Two police officers were also shot responding to a domestic dispute call at an apartment in nearby Americus last weekend.

Americus Officer Nicholas Smarr died Wednesday and fellow officer Jody Smith died on Thursday.

The shooter was later found dead of a suspected self-inflicted gunshot wound. 

There have been five officers shot in total since early November in the area. 

 

Comments (53)

Share what you think

 View all

The comments below have not been moderated.

 View all

The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.

Add your comment

By posting your comment you agree to our house rules.

Who is this week's top commenter? Find out now