GBI: Armed man shot by Newton County deputies after he shot, killed his wife
(Georgia Bureau of Investigation)
NEWTON COUNTY, Ga. - The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has been called to investigating a shooting by Newton County deputies of a man accused of killing his wife.
Officials say the incident began Sunday afternoon when deputies with the Newton County Sheriff's Office were called to Livingston Lane in Covington after reports of a stolen vehicle.
When deputies arrived at the scene, officials say they found 57-year-old Joe Bernard Hobson standing in his front yard holding a gun.
According to the GBI, Hobson told the deputies he had shot his wife and did not comply with their commands to drop the gun.
After a short standoff, officials say at least one deputy fired a shot, hitting Hobson. He is now hospitalized in critical condition. Charges remain pending.
A search of the property led police to find Hobson's wife, 49-year-old Alena Polston Hobson, lying in the yard on the side of the home. Medics rushed the woman to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
The GBI will conduct its investigating into the homicide and shooting by deputies. Once completed, the case will be turned over to the Newton County District Attorney's Office.