Villa Rica, Georgia: Bradley Cox, 53, Shot and Killed by SWAT Deputies After Displaying a Sword, GBI Says

Bradley Cox, 53, of Villa Rica, Georgia, was shot and killed on Wednesday evening by Douglas County SWAT deputies after he displayed a sword inside his home on Connors Road, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said on Thursday. No deputies were injured.

What deputies found on Connors Road

Deputies went to the 3000 block of Connors Road in Villa Rica at about 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 4, to respond to a shooting incident, the GBI said in its preliminary account. When deputies arrived, they found a man with an apparent gunshot wound.

Deputies approached another man at the scene, later identified as Cox. He retreated into his home, and deputies asked the Douglas County Sheriff's Office SWAT team to respond, the bureau said.

Negotiation, gas, then shots in a hallway

SWAT deputies tried to negotiate with Cox after they arrived. He did not comply, the GBI said. Deputies deployed OC gas, a chemical irritant, in an attempt to remove him from the home. Cox refused to leave, and SWAT deputies entered the house.

Inside, deputies encountered Cox in a hallway and he displayed a sword to law enforcement, the GBI said. Two SWAT deputies shot Cox, hitting him multiple times. Deputies removed him from the home and Douglas County EMS immediately rendered medical assistance. Cox was pronounced dead at the scene.

What officials have not said

The GBI did not release information about the condition of the man found with the initial gunshot wound, FOX 5 Atlanta reported. The bureau also did not explain the circumstances surrounding that earlier shooting. Those two gaps sit at the center of the case, because the first shooting is what brought deputies to Connors Road in the first place.

Cox's body will be taken to the GBI Medical Examiner's Office, where an autopsy will be conducted, the bureau said.

The investigation

The GBI is conducting an independent investigation at the request of the Douglas County Sheriff's Office. When the investigation is complete, the case file will go to the Douglas Judicial Circuit District Attorney's Office for review.

Anyone with information can call the GBI Atlanta Regional Investigative Office in Conyers at 770-388-5019. Anonymous tips can go to the GBI Tipline at 800-597-TIPS (8477), to the bureau's online tip portal, or through the See Something, Send Something mobile application.