COBB COUNTY, Ga. — Roads are now open after a man was shot and killed by law enforcement officers during a drug-related traffic stop Wednesday evening, the Cobb County Sheriff said.
Cobb County Sheriff Craig Owens said law enforcement officers with the Marietta, Cobb and Smyrna Organized Crime Unit initiated a traffic stop around 5:30 p.m. on South Cobb Drive near Old Concord Road in Smyrna. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation on Thursday said the traffic stop was part of an ongoing drug investigation.
GBI on Thursday identified the man as 26-year-old Peter Luna-Lopez. Agents said when officers tried to stop Luna-Lopez, he sped away.
"A police officer used her patrol car to force Lopez's truck off the road. Officers approached Lopez's truck," GBI said in a release.
Agents said officers shot into the truck, hitting the man.
During the traffic stop, Owens said that gunfire erupted, and officers fatally shot the suspect inside their car. Cobb County Police Chief Stuart Van Hoozer could not confirm who fired shots first. No law enforcement officers involved in the incident were injured, Owens said. The GBI was called as an independent third party to look into the issue, as is state protocol when it comes to shootings involving law enforcement officers.
GBI said that the man was found with a handgun, but did not clarify if he fired any shots.
Watch Cobb County authorities provide a Wednesday evening update below:
A massive police presence was spotted at the intersection of Windy Hill Road SE and South Cobb Drive SE in Smyrna shortly after the shooting. Dozens of officers were seen swarming the area.
The intersection is near Walgreens and several fast-food restaurants, including Checkers and Wendy's.
South Cobb Drive was closed between Windy Hill Road SE and Benson Poole Road as the GBI collected evidence at the scene. It will likely remain closed through midnight, according to authorities.
Video sent into 11Alive shows what appears to be the sound of gunshots being fired as police swarmed the area on South Cobb Drive.
The GBI has taken over the investigation, and Drug Enforcement Administration officers were also spotted at the scene. Luna-Lopez's body was taken to the Cobb County Medical Examiner's Office for an autopsy.
This is a developing story. Check back often for new information.
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