The Cobb Police Chief on Monday took the unusual step to speak publicly about an officer-involved shooting that resulted in the death of a suspect at a Cobb Parkway pharmacy over the weekend.
Stuart VanHoozer urged the media at a press conference to “look for corroborating evidence” before reporting on details of an incident that led to officers killing Nathan Jenkins, 32, late Friday evening, at a Walgreen’s store in the Cumberland area.
He referenced media reports that included “speculation” that the suspect was shot 25 times, had his hands up when officers fired and was possessing a cell phone and not a gun.
“I did not see any evidence” of those allegations, VanHoozer said at the press conference at Cobb Police Headquarters on Fairground Street in Marietta, adding that they were part of the ongoing investigation.
He asked reporters “to patiently wait for solid evidence” and not “conjecture” as the investigation into the shooting continues.
VanHoozer said the officers involved in the shooting have been place on administrative leave in the meantime.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is handling the investigation, and typically local police departments do not comment until those probes are completed.
“There are some questions that have popped up in the media that have caused us some concern,” VanHoozer said.
Some of those reports included interviews with the suspect’s father, who said his son called him after the shooting and he went to the scene, as well as Jenkins’ brother, who called it “an unjustified shooting.”
Jenkins’ father told WSB-TV that his son had experienced addiction and psychological issues in his past.
Jenkins, of Valdosta, was wanted on a number of warrants, and VanHoozer said they included failure to appear on a charge of a felony possession of a firearm and possession of a controlled substance and fleeing and attempting to elude police in Fulton County, and probation violations in Fulton and Lowndes County.
He said officers went to the Walgreen’s at 2670 Cobb Parkway at Windy Ridge Parkway at around 11:30 p.m. based on the outstanding warrants.
Police said initially that they got into an altercation with Jenkins inside the store, and he was shot by officers when they made contact. According to police, Jenkins was pronounced dead after being taken to Wellstar Kennestone Hospital.
VanHoozer said an unspecified previous traffic stop in which a suspect got away—he said police didn’t pursue him due to the department’s chase policy—may be linked, that “possibly that pursuit and this individual.
“That’s what led to that area [the Walgreen’s on Friday] in a continuing investigation,” VanHoozer said. Jenkins was “a wanted individual that we knew about.”
VanHoozer took a few questions, and was asked about an initial GBI report saying it found a gun on the scene.
“That was not our weapon,” VanHoozer said, but he deferred other questions to “give the GBI a chance to get its ducks in a row.”
He said the Cobb Police Department was extending its condolences to Jenkins family.
“We don’t want to see incidents end like this one ended,” he said.
Related:
- Cobb Police kill suspect at Cobb Parkway Walgreen’s
- Jail inmate from East Cobb dies due to health reasons
- Police: 3 charged in death of woman last seen in East Cobb
- Cobb Police haven’t filed charges in hot car death toddler
- Wrong-way crash on Trickum Road hospitalizes three
- Executive director named for new Cobb Family Advocacy Center
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