GBI investigating three officer shootings within 24 hours

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The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is looking into three separate officer shootings that took place Thursday. Two of them were fatal.

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Just before 9 a.m. Thursday, Monroe Police shot and killed Mahlon Summerour after citizens reported seeing him walking around with what appeared to be a machine gun. 

It turned out that the weapon was a replica, but, according to police, the 63-year-old pointed the fake gun at officers when they demanded that he put it down. 

Officers fired once, hitting Summerour in the chest. 

His family said the veteran had a history of mental illness and could act strangely if he was off his medication.

MORE: Man dead after police shooting in Monroe

A couple of hours later, a Georgia State Patrol trooper was injured in a fatal shooting along the side of Interstate 75 in Bartow County. 

The trooper pulled over a gold Camry for going too slow in the left-hand lane, and then the trooper called for back-up after seeing weapons and drugs inside the car. 

Kenneth Martin was patted down and handcuffed, but somehow the troopers missed a gun that was in the back of his jogging pants. When the troopers tried to do another search of Martin, they said the 27-year-old pulled the gun and fired three shots. 

One of the troopers was hit. Luckily the bullet struck him in the protective ballistic vest, causing only minor injuries. 

Both troopers returned fire, hitting Martin multiple times. He later died at the hospital.

RELATED: Man killed after shooting state trooper on I-75

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Late Thursday night, a third officer shooting happened in southwest Georgia. According to the GBI, a Richland Police officer tried to stop Davion Watson at a roadblock, but they say Watson took off instead, setting off a chase.

Officials say Watson then opened fire on a police car in nearby Terrell County. Officers returned fired, leaving Watson suffered with nonlife-threatening injuries. No officers suffered any injuries in the Terrell County shooting.

The GBI told FOX 5 they have investigated 75 officer-involved shootings this year, with Thursday's three shootings included.