PEARSON, Ga. – On Tuesday, June 4, 2019, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Region Four Office was requested by the Lakeland Police Department to investigate an officer involved use of force incident.
According to GBI Director of Public Affairs, this is the 36th officer involved shooting investigation that the Agency has been requested to investigate in 2019.
Preliminary information from law enforcement agencies indicated that on June 4, 2019, at approximately 10:44 p.m., the Tri-County 911 center received a 911 call. The call was received from a Lakeland Police Officer reporting shots fired on Hwy. 221 S. in Atkinson County.
Officers with the Pearson Police Department and Atkinson County Sheriff’s Office arrived on scene to find Roy Kyle Mathis, 48, suffering from gunshot wounds.
Mathis was being transported from Lakeland, GA to the Coffee County Jail. As the transport vehicle entered Atkinson County, Mathis attempted to escape from the vehicle and an altercation between Mathis and the transport officer occurred resulting in the officer firing his weapon. Mathis was transported to Coffee Regional Medical Center where he was treated and later moved to Savannah Memorial for treatment.
No officers were injured in this incident.
Anyone with information or video of the incident is asked to contact the GBI Douglas Office at 912-389-4103.
The GBI will continue its independent investigation to determine what occurred during the incident. When the investigation is complete, it will be turned over to the AtkinsonCounty District Attorney’s Office for review.
