Savannah man shot by officer after pointing gun at police during robbery

A Savannah man is in critical condition after a police officer shot him early Monday while he was robbing a convenience store and turned a gun on the officer.

What happened: Around 12:30 a.m., a Savannah Police Department officer stopped at Parker’s convenience store at 2004 Beech Street. As the officer walked up to the store, he saw 29-year-old Raheem Ashanti Williams of Savannah inside, pointing a gun at a store clerk. Williams saw the officer and bolted out the front door. As he was leaving, Williams pointed the gun at the officer. The officer fired, hitting Williams.

After the shooting: Williams ran from the scene on foot and was found in a ditch nearby with a gunshot wound. He was taken to a local hospital, where he is listed in critical condition. No officers were injured.

The investigation: The Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the state’s independent criminal investigative agency, is looking into both the shooting and the robbery. The GBI routinely handles officer-involved shooting investigations across Georgia. The case is active and ongoing. When the investigation wraps up, it will be handed to the Eastern Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office, which covers Chatham County, for review.

The path forward: The District Attorney’s Office will decide whether to bring criminal charges, either against Williams in connection with the robbery, or related to the officer’s use of force during the shooting.