SUGAR HILL, Ga. — A 17-year-old boy armed with a knife and a handgun was shot and killed late Thursday afternoon after lunging at a Gwinnett County police officer during a standoff, according to authorities.
Gwinnett County Police received a 911 call at 4:26 p.m. from a teenager who reported he was near the roundabout at the intersection of Whitehead Road and West Broad Street in Sugar Hill.
“One of the first things the man stated when he called 911 was that he had a gun and a knife and that he was a danger to himself and others,” said Sergeant Collin Flynn with Gwinnett County Police.
Once officers were dispatched to the scene, the Gwinnett County Police Behavioral Health Unit was notified and a licensed mental health clinician spoke with the boy over the phone.
“The doctor spoke with the man and learned he was depressed and suicidal,” Sergeant Flynn said.
Police encountered the boy along the road at a roundabout. They parked their car a short distance away and ordered the boy to drop the knife he was holding. Despite several minutes of negotiations between police and a medic, the situation escalated. Police say the boy suddenly sprinted towards the two officers, knife in hand.
When the boy approached and brandished a knife, officers opened fire, hitting the boy at least once.
“As officers were speaking with the male, he began charging towards the officers at full speed. As he approached the officers, he stabbed one of the officers and two officers then opened fire on the male, hitting him at least once,” Sergeant Flynn said.
Gwinnett County Police arrive on the scene of an officer-involved shooting near West Broad Street and Whitehead Road in Sugar Hill on Aug. 23, 2024. (FOX 5)
The boy was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police say they don't know if the boy actually had a gun — investigators only found a knife.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has been asked to take over the use of deadly force investigation.
The names of the officer and those killed have not been released.
If you or someone you know is in trouble or crisis, help is available: call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org.
