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One person killed in Meriwether County officer-involved shooting

The GBI has been called in to investigate the incident.
Credit: WXIA

GREENVILLE, Ga. — One person was killed in an officer-involved shooting incident in Greenville, Ga., Saturday evening, according to officials.

The incident happened at a residence on Martin Street, according to a preliminary report from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

The GBI was asked to take over the investigation by the Greenville Police Department after the incident occurred.

According to a GBI release, at about 7:18 p.m., a female resident at an address on Tobe Harris Street in Greenville called 911 to report that a shirtless male was in her yard waiving a gun toward her before he took off running toward Martin Street.

Police dispatchers said another 911 call was received from a male resident on Martin Street who said an armed shirtless male was leaning against the caller's car which was parked in the front yard. The caller told 911 dispatchers that the armed male was making comments, indicating that he was wanted by police.

The release said that officers responding to the Martin Street address found the armed shirtless male there.

When officers arrived, the subject walked down the driveway with the gun in his hand, then stopped and sat down.

According to the GBI release, the subject began pointing the gun at himself and saying that officers were going to have to shoot him.

The police officers gave the subject verbal commands to drop the gun, but he did not comply.

The report said that when the subject pointed the gun at officers, one of the officers fired a single shot at the subject, which resulted in his death.

The GBI later identified the subject as 42-year-old Wallace Dean Staples.
No officers were injured during the incident.

The GBI said they will continue their independent investigation. Once they have concluded their investigation, the case will be provided to the Coweta Judicial Circuit District Attorney's Office for review. 

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