Clayton accounts for 1, out of slew of officer-related shootings in 2018

A review of records indicates that Georgia is on track to double the amount of officer-related shootings for this year compared to last, with Clayton contributing one of them.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) was asked to come to the city of Clayton in Rabun County back in February to investigate an officer-involved shooting following a chase. A Clayton police officer shot and killed a man who investigators said slashed at the officer with a knife.

According to information obtained by the Atlanta Journal Constitution, the reports indicated that the amount of fatal police shootings in Georgia is on track to double from the year before, 2017-2018.

The AJC also reported that it wasn’t just fatal police shootings that were on the incline, but also officer-involved shootings — which Clayton attributed to one. According to the records, the GBI reported in 2017 there were 88 total officer-involved shootings for the entire year. Fast forward to present day and the GBI reported there have been 51 officer-involved shootings half-way into this year alone.

An interview was conducted by Alexis Stevens of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution with GBI Director Vernon Keenan which revealed some insight as to why the influx of officer-involved shootings. 

An excerpt from the AJC’s article on “Georgia on pace to double deadly officer-involved shootings in 2018″ reads:

“It’s almost like a perfect storm coming together,” GBI Director Vernon Keenan said. “There’s very much anti-police sentiment in some communities. You combine that with drugs and mental health.”