Man found dead after shootout with South Fulton police
Man found dead after shootout with police in South Fulton
South Fulton police say 55-year-old Derrick Bates opened fire on officers responding to a family dispute. Bates was later found dead inside the home, while his wife was hospitalized with a gunshot wound to the leg. This is a breaking news report. FOX 5 Atlanta's Marc Teichner reporting live from the scene.
SOUTH FULTON, Ga. - A 55-year-old man is dead and his wife was wounded following a standoff and exchange of gunfire with South Fulton police.
What we know:
Police identified the man as Derrick Bates. Investigators said officers were responding to a 911 call from Bates' wife when they came under fire as they arrived at the home in the 3300 block of Flat Shoals Road.
Derrick Bates. Courtesy of South Fulton Police Department
Police said Bates met the responding officers outside and immediately began shooting at them with what authorities described as a high-powered rifle. Officers returned fire but were forced to take cover behind their patrol vehicles.
Officers pinned down by gunfire
What they're saying:
Authorities said Bates eventually retreated into the home and continued firing at officers through a window.
The officers called for additional help, and a SWAT team was brought in to move them to a safer location.
"As soon as they pull up, they were fired upon egregiously, aggressively and with malice, and they would attempt to do serious injury or cause death to those officers," South Fulton's interim public safety director said.
No officers were injured.
Wife shot, man found dead
Police said Bates' wife was shot in the leg during the incident. She was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital for treatment. She reportedly told officers that she had been shot by her husband.
SWAT officers spent several hours trying to persuade Bates to surrender before eventually entering the home. Police said they found Bates dead next to his weapon.
What we don't know:
Investigators have not determined whether Bates died from an officer's gunfire or took his own life.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has taken over the investigation into the shooting. Their medical examiner will also conduct an autopsy on Bates.
Mayor issues statement
What they're saying:
South Fulton Mayor Carmalitha Gumbs released the following statement regarding the active shooting in the city Tuesday night:
"I commend the men and women of the South Fulton Police Department for their courage, professionalism and restraint in responding to last night’s dangerous incident on Flat Shoals Road. Our officers answered a domestic call and came under gunfire, yet they remained focused on protecting lives, securing the area and bringing the situation under control. I am especially grateful that no officers were injured, and I also thank the South Metro SWAT team and our neighboring public-safety agencies for their assistance.
The safety and well-being of our residents must always remain at the center of everything we do. Our foremost responsibility as a city is to protect the lives of the people we serve, and incidents such as this are a sobering reminder of how quickly our public safety professionals can be called upon to confront extraordinary danger on behalf of our community.
We always abhor violence, injury and the loss of life in circumstances such as these, and our thoughts are with everyone affected. At the same time, we must never take for granted the men and women in blue who put their lives on the line each day to protect our residents and our city. On behalf of the City of South Fulton, I thank them for a job well done and for their unwavering commitment to keeping our community safe."
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from City of South Fulton Deputy Director of Public Affairs Denise Wells, who issued an official public safety notice, as well as live scene coverage from FOX 5 Atlanta. This story has been updated since it was originally published.