MOULTRIE — An argument between a father and son escalated into a standoff with police and ended with police shooting one of the men.
On Wednesday, July 3 the Georgia Bureau of Investigation was asked by the Moultrie Police Department to investigate an officer involved shooting.
According to the GBI, preliminary information indicates that Moultrie police officers responded to a 911 call on West Boulevard in reference to an individual, later identified as 50-year-old Bernard Lynn Patterson threatening his father and a second individual with a knife.
Police say when officers arrived, Patterson confronted them with a deer rifle. Patterson allegedly pointed the rifle at officers several times. After hours of police attempting to get him to put the gun down, Patterson fired at least one round at the officers and they returned fire.
Patterson was shot at least once and transported via Air Med to Tallahassee where he remains in stable condition.
Officers from the Moultrie Police Department, Colquitt County Sheriff’s Office, and Thomas County Sheriff’s Office were involved.
No officers were injured in this incident.
The GBI will continue its independent investigation. When the investigation is complete, it will be turned over to the Colquitt County District Attorney’s Office for review.
Thom Chandler
Thom Chandler is the editor of The Georgia Sun and has been writing, editing and managing websites and blogs since 1995. He is a lifelong Georgian and one of those increasingly rare Atlanta natives.
