FAYETTEVILLE, Ga. — A person is being questioned after Fayetteville Police said they were called to a reported kidnapping at the Woodbyne Subdivision Tuesday. One man is dead.
Police were called to investigate a "trouble unknown" call Tuesday just after 7:45 a.m. at a home along Selwyn Court, where a person called 911 and whispered that they had been kidnapped by an organization. Though the caller did not offer a location, dispatchers were able to trace it to the subdivision.
As officers arrived, they noticed a person walking a dog coming from the direction of the home. As police tried to make contact with the individual, they ran off, police said. A pursuit ensued with police taking the person into custody. The individual is currently being questioned at the Fayetteville Police Department. The small dog was also recovered and is safe, according to authorities.
At the home, police noticed blinds moving and people stirring from inside, they said. Officers used megaphones to ask people to come out, and nine individuals around the same age group walked out willingly, law enforcement said. One of the individuals indicated there was a tenth person inside.
"I came outside I talked to one of the officers. I told him we have someone in there who is mentally different," said Gazi Kodzo, who identified himself as the homeowner.
RELATED: 2 men face kidnapping, aggravated assault charges following Fayetteville subdivision SWAT scene
Utilizing Fayette Police Department SWAT, the sheriff's office SWAT team and Clayton County's EOD robot, officers blocked off the neighborhood and sent in the droid to investigate inside the home where a man was found dead with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, according to authorities.
However, Kodzo said he didn't believe the person, who he identified as a 19-year-old who had been living a the home for a year, died by suicide. Kodzo declined to release the name of the person.
"He would never" take his own life, said Kodzo. "They came in there with guns blazing."
Kodzo said he asked officers to let him talk to the man who refused to exit the house.
"I said, 'let me go inside.' They said 'no, you can't go inside,'" Kodzo said.
Kodzo explained they even requested to speak on the megaphone to speak with the 19-year-old, but police again refused.
Police sent in a robot – which they said indicated a sound of a gunshot. Police said they didn’t fire the shot. Kodzo, who referred to the 19-year-old as his "son," said he’s not convinced.
"I know my son’s history and I know the police’s history for so long. And just like always, the police have the first say with the media," Kodzo said. "The truth starts to come."
Kodzo said he wants to see video from the robot and body-worn police cameras.
Authorities added that several people are being questioned about the incident and are not sure who called 911 in the first place. Those who left the home will be questioned, police said.
Neighbors were allowed back into the subdivision by Tuesday evening and assured the area is safe.
Editor's note: On Wednesday, Fayetteville police identified Kodzo, whose legal name is Augustus Romain, as a suspect in the incident. He was arrested and now faces several charges in connection to the situation.
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