Lakeland PD officer allegedly shoots inmate in Atkinson County, GBI investigating

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is investigating an officer involved shooting that took place on June 4, 2019, in Atkinson County. According to a GBI press release, around 10:45 p.m. that night, a call came into the Tri-County 911 Center that an officer from the Lakeland Police Department had shot an inmate that was being transported from Lakeland to the Coffee County Jail in Douglas.

According to the release, a Lakeland PD officer was transporting Roy Kyle Mathis, 48, to the Coffee County Jail when Mathis attempted to escape the transport vehicle. The incident occurred in Atkinson County on Highway 221 South. Mathis’s alleged escape attempt resulted in an altercation during which the officer fired multiple shots.

Officers from the Pearson Police Department and Atkinson County Sheriff’s Office responded to the call and found Mathis with multiple gunshot wounds. The Lakeland PD officer was uninjured. EMS transported Mathis to Coffee Regional Medical Center. He was later transferred to Savannah Memorial for further treatment.

The press release states that the investigation is ongoing. Once completed, the GBI will turn the case over to the district attorney’s office in Atkinson County for review.  Anyone with information or video of the incident should contact the Douglas GBI field office at (912) 389-4103.

The GBI will continue its independent investigation to determine what occurred during the incident.  When the investigation is complete, it will be turned over to the Atkinson County District Attorney's Office for review.