The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) is investigating an officer-involved shooting that occurred in Appling County after a vehicle pursuit that began in Hazlehurst and involved local, county, and state law enforcement officers.
According to a GBI news release issued Wednesday, Terrick Barice Griggs, 37, of Savannah, was shot and injured during the incident. No law enforcement officers were injured.
The GBI said the incident began on Tuesday, July 21, when a Hazlehurst Police Department officer and a Jeff Davis County Sheriff’s Office deputy attempted to stop a vehicle traveling on U.S. Highway 341. Authorities reported the vehicle was believed to be connected to a kidnapping investigation in Hinesville.
According to the GBI, the driver did not stop, leading officers on a pursuit eastbound on Highway 341. A Georgia State Patrol trooper later joined the chase.
The pursuit ended in Appling County after the vehicle reportedly sustained tire damage and came to a stop. The GBI said the driver exited the vehicle and fled on foot, with a Georgia State Patrol trooper pursuing him.
During the foot pursuit, investigators say the man fell to the ground and did not comply with verbal commands. The GBI reported that the man reached toward his waistband, at which point the trooper fired multiple shots, striking him.
Law enforcement officers immediately rendered medical aid at the scene before the man was transported to a regional hospital. The GBI reported he remains in stable condition.
According to the GBI, the person believed to have been kidnapped was found inside the vehicle and recovered safely.
The investigation remains active.
The GBI said it is conducting an independent investigation, as is standard procedure in officer-involved shootings. Once completed, the case file will be submitted to the Brunswick Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office for review.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact the GBI Regional Investigative Office in Douglas at (912) 389-4103. Anonymous tips may also be submitted through the GBI tip line at 1-800-597-TIPS (8477), online at https://gbi.georgia.gov/submit-tips-online, or through the See Something, Send Something mobile app.
