Police: man wielding rifle on popular trail shot by officer

DALLAS, Ga. - The Georgia Bureau of Investigation was asked to investigate an officer-involved shooting on the popular Silver Comet Trail in Paulding County, as authorities said a man wielding a rifle was shot by a Dallas Police officer.

Police said the gunman would not comply with officers' commands, pointed the weapon at authorities, and was struck two times by gunfire.

Authorities said after 2 p.m., officers responded to the Rambo Road Trailhead off Highway 278 after people called 911 to report a man walking the trail with a rifle. Deputies with Paulding County said the man had fired at least one shot.

“I could see him walking along the trail very slowly, with a long gun, like a rifle,” said Rebecca Vaughan, who was one of several people frightened by the sight. She said she ran into workplace Rambo Nursery to avoid confronting the man.

Witnesses told FOX 5 News off-camera, they saw Dallas officers arrive and try to convince the man to drop his weapon.

“He was given several verbal commands to drop the rifle... he started waiving the rifle back and forth. When it got to the point to where it was pointed toward one of the officers, the officer fired on him,” said Dallas Police Captain Bill Gorman.

The man was taken to Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center in critical condition and underwent surgery, authorities said.

Police could not identify the man or give a reason why he was wielding a rifle in the first place.

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