Drug agents fatally shoot armed 19-year-old after chase in south Georgia

THOMAS COUNTY, Ga. - Agents of a drug squad fatally shot a man in a town in Thomas County after they said he pulled out a gun, authorities said Thursday.

Alfred Shawntez Cole, a 19-year-old Thomasville man, was shot by agents of the Thomas County Drug Squad, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said in a news release. The state agency is leading the inquiry into the shooting.

The agents were searching a Thomasville neighborhood for another man with outstanding warrants for failing to appear in court when a Thomas County deputy asked officers to watch for a beige Toyota Camry driving erratically, the GBI said.

The agents spotted the car and tried to pull it over, but Cole sped up and got away, the GBI said. After a short chase, the Camry came to a stop near some woods. Police told investigators that Cole got out of the car and displayed a handgun, and that two drug squad agents then shot him.

The Thomas County Sheriff’s Office said Thursday that the agents first tried to shock Cole with a stun gun. After they shot him, they administered first aid and he was taken to a hospital, where he died.

Cole’s gun was recovered and had previously been reported as stolen, the GBI said. His body is scheduled to undergo an autopsy. The district attorney will decide whether to seek criminal charges when the investigation is complete.