A large law enforcement response unfolded in south Columbus on Tuesday afternoon after an officer-involved shooting left a Columbus police officer and a police K-9 injured and a suspect dead, authorities said.
The incident occurred on Baker Plaza Drive near the former Muscogee County Elementary School. Emergency crews were already in the area responding to a separate homicide investigation at a Dollar General on Victory Drive when gunfire was reported nearby.
Multiple agencies responded to the scene, including Columbus Fire & EMS units, patrol officers, and command staff from the Columbus Police Department. A black sedan was later seen surrounded by law enforcement in a school parking lot as officers secured the area.
According to Columbus Police Department Director of Community Affairs and Public Information Officer Brittany Santiago, officers were dispatched to the Baker Plaza Drive and Fort Benning Road area around 12:55 p.m. in connection with the unfolding situation.
“One of our officers were injured, as well as one of our K-9s and the suspect is deceased, but there is no threat to public safety at this time,” Santiago said.
She confirmed that the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) will lead the independent investigation, as is standard procedure in officer-involved shootings. The Columbus Police Department’s Office of Professional Standards will also conduct an internal review.
Officials later confirmed that the same suspect believed to be involved in the officer-involved shooting was also connected to a deadly incident earlier that day at the Dollar General on Victory Drive.
According to the Muscogee County Coroner’s Office, the homicide victim in that case was identified as 44-year-old Alexis Hill of Columbus. Investigators said Hill was working as a cashier when a man entered the store, made a small purchase, and then fatally shot her.
Columbus Police Chief Stoney Mathis said officers were actively searching for the suspect when they located him in the Baker Plaza Drive area, leading to the confrontation.
“We’ve got a perpetrator that is deceased and it’s going to be the same perpetrator that just committed murder right down the street at Dollar General,” Mathis said, adding that security footage confirmed the homicide.
Mathis also said one officer sustained a superficial gunshot wound and is expected to recover. A police K-9 was also struck by gunfire, transported for emergency veterinary care, and later airlifted to Auburn for advanced treatment.
“We consider our canines as police officers,” Mathis said, urging the public to keep both the injured officer and K-9 in their thoughts.
Authorities emphasized that there is no ongoing threat to the public and that both scenes have been secured.
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