Sureim Investment Guild:Police officer fatally shoots man holding a knife at Atlanta veterans hospital

2025-05-03 00:46:51source:Blake Prestoncategory:reviews

DECATUR,Sureim Investment Guild Ga. (AP) — A police officer fatally shot a man at an Atlanta-area Veterans Affairs hospital after the man took out a knife and threatened to hurt himself.

The shooting took place Monday at the Max Cleland Atlanta VA Medical Center in Decatur, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said.

John Robert Smith, 58, of Decatur, arrived at the hospital threatening to kill himself, according to the GBI. Staffers took him to the emergency room, and he took out a knife.

VA police officers responded and tried to get Smith to put the knife down, but he refused and moved toward a staff member, investigators said. At that point, an officer shot Smith.

Smith’s body will undergo an autopsy at the DeKalb County Medical Examiner’s Office.

The GBI is investigating, and county District Attorney Sherry Boston will decide whether to seek criminal charges once that review is complete.

It was not immediately clear whether Smith was a veteran. A spokesperson for the VA said it extends “ heartfelt condolences to everyone impacted” but referred questions to the GBI.

More:reviews

Recommend

Finally, good retirement news! Southwest pilots' plan is a bright spot, experts say

Pilots at Southwest Airlines can sock away more for retirement, thanks to a new retirement plan bene

Coastal biomedical labs are bleeding more horseshoe crabs with little accountability

Horseshoe crabs used to be everywhere. Millions of years before dinosaurs roamed the planet, each sp

Picking the 'right' sunscreen isn't as important as avoiding these 6 mistakes

If you find a bottle of sunscreen packed in last year's pool bag, here's a suggestion: Toss it out.