Man shot by Roswell police after trying to stab bus driver dies, police say

Written by: E. George

Published September 5, 2024 @ 3:35 PM ET

FULTON COUNTY, Ga. – The Georgia Bureau of Investigation confirmed that Roswell police officers shot a suspect who charged at them with an “edged” weapon after attempting to stab a bus driver with it on Tuesday, September 3, 2024. The officers deployed their tasers as the man wielding scissors ran at them, but their attempts to stop him were unsuccessful, so they opened fire.

The suspect was transported to a local hospital and pronounced deceased. His body was sent to the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office, where an autopsy will be performed. Officials announced they are waiting to release the man’s identity until they notify his next of kin.

The incident allegedly began aboard a MARTA bus driving along the 10000 block of Alpharetta Highway at approximately 1:50 PM on Tuesday. Witnesses said the suspect became enraged when asked for his fare and attacked the driver.

The bus driver, who escaped uninjured, was able to continue driving, and responding officers found the suspect walking in the area. At least one officer discharged their weapon when he tried to attack them; no officers were injured.

Crime scene photographs revealed a military-type backpack and scattered clothes on the ground surrounded by safety cones. The photos also featured a police vehicle on the sidewalk with an open door; the patrol vehicle’s connection to the crime scene has yet to be disclosed.

Following standard protocol, the GBI is investigating the incident.

Police announced the closure of Alpharetta Highway from Houze Way to Mansell Road, which remained in place for several hours.

This shooting is the third of similar incidents that officials asked the GBI to investigate on Tuesday. The first shooting occurred during a domestic call in Adairsville on Monday night, in which 42-year-old James Lee Rourks was shot and injured at his home.

911 received a call from a woman who quickly hung up after they answered. Rourks immediately called 911 back, claiming everything was fine; however, Adairsville police officers responded to the Barnsley Village Drive home.

A woman at the house told officers that Rourks possessed a gun. The suspect retreated into the home, barricading himself inside and refusing to cooperate.

The officers called the Bartow County Sheriff’s Office for help, and when deputies responded, they breached the home. A deputy shot Rourks during his arrest, and he was transported to a nearby hospital with non-fatal injuries.

Rourks faces charges of aggravated assault, interfering with a 911 call, and strangulation.

The second incident occurred during an attempted traffic stop of a 53-year-old man in Berrien County by a Georgia State Patrol trooper. Following a pursuit and a PIT maneuver, the suspect tried to drive his vehicle into the trooper, who shot at the oncoming auto.

The shot missed Roy Kyle Mathis, and he drove away, turned onto a dirt path, and struck a tree in a residence’s yard. The trooper deployed a taser and removed Mathis from the vehicle, who was transported to a local hospital before being processed at the Berrien Jail.

These cases are pending.