New Details Released On Bartow Officer-Involved Shooting

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An incident report released by the Bartow County Sheriff’s Office is shedding new light on last month’s fatal shooting involving two deputies with the agency.

Darren Billy Wilson, 47, was killed July 22 by sheriff’s deputy Anthony Parker as he allegedly “charged (at) one of the deputies while yelling threats at the officer,” the GBI previously said.

According to the report, two deputies responded to a fight in progress call around 3:20 p.m. at 318 Mansfield Road. The officers met with the complainant, who said a man was “yelling and seemed to be on drugs.”

“As we entered the heavily wooded area, we could hear the male,” Parker wrote in his narrative. “It was hard to understand him and he seemed to be in an argument with someone.”

Both deputies cased the property in an effort to locate the subject, who was later heard ”talking about the devil and going to kill someone,” according to the report.

The other deputy -- Nick Thompson -- was the first to observe Wilson, who he said was ”sitting in the woods against a tree.”

Thompson wrote the man appeared to have something large in his hands.

“Due to the unknown of what the male was holding, I immediately began giving loud verbal commands to ‘show me your hands, show me your hands’ repeatedly,” Thompson added. “The male stood up, grabbed what appeared to be a large branch and began walking towards me holding the stick in front of him.”

Thompson contends Wilson, who was only wearing shorts and tennis shoes at the time, began running towards him in an “aggressive manner.” Wilson would not stop, which caused him to walk backwards, Thompson stated.

“I was waiting for a good chance to discharge my department issued taser at the male to stop his threat of coming closer,” Thompson said. “As the male approached (to) approximately eight to 10 feet from me, placing me in fear of receiving an injury, I was unable to discharge my taser because...the position he was holding the large tree prevented me from being able to use my taser effectively.”

Parker then writes that Thompson began to yell his name as Wilson allegedly came closer to him. At that time, Parker states he decided to fire his department-issued glock at the suspect.

Wilson was pronounced dead at the scene, and the deputies were not injured. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation continues to probe the incident. Once it completes that task, the case file will be turned over to the Bartow County District Attorney’s Office for review.

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Image via Shutterstock