Athens-Clarke County police identified the man officers shot and killed off Westlake Drive on Friday as Thomas Wayne Swinford, 34.
Swinford’s last known address was in Grovetown, in the Augusta area, police said today, but ACCPD Chief Cleveland Spruill told Flagpole Friday night that he also had connections to Athens.
According to police, officers responded at about 6:30 p.m. Friday to call about a man with what is believed to be a firearm. After spending approximately 10–15 minutes telling him to put the gun down, Swinford charged at police, and the officers opened fire.
Seven officers were involved in the shooting, police said today: Officer C.J. Bidinger, Officer First Class William Greenlow, Officer Claude Johnson, Cpl. Alex Leder, Sgt. Jon McIlvaine, Officer Joshua Santos and Officer Roger Williams.
Those officers have been placed on paid administrative leave while the GBI investigates the shooting and ACCPD conducts a preliminary review, authorities said Friday.
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