Officers shoot Mableton man walking around neighborhood with gun, GBI says

MABLETON, Ga. - A man was shot by a Cobb County police officers during a confrontation that prompted a SWAT standoff in Mableton on New Year’s Day, says the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

Officers were called to David Lane in Mableton around 7:47 p.m. Monday after receiving a report of a man walking around the neighborhood with what appeared to a rifle, the GBI says.

Cobb County Police say the man also threatened several people in the neighborhood.

One woman says she saw him looking into cars.

Jose Razo (Cobb County Sheriff's Office)

"We walked outside to see what was going on and he cocked the gun and pointed it at us like he was about to shoot. He didn't say anything, just cocked it, pointed it. We took off running," she said.

Police were called and when officers arrived, they confronted 35-year-old Jose Razo who was still holding the gun. Cobb County Police say the officers told Razo to drop his weapon, but instead Razo pointed the gun at law enforcement. Police say that's when an officer fired at Razo. The bullet grazed Razo in the shoulder and he ran into a house and refused to come out.

The SWAT team was called in.

"Twenty to 30 cop cars, two SWAT cars and armored vehicles," said David Clayton who lives nearby.  

Neighbors say the SWAT team knocked down the front door and sent a drone in.

"We seen the drone go in and I guess that's when they seen him. I guess the drone has a camera on it and they can see his movements," said the neighbor.

The GBI says the man surrendered after several hours. He was treated for non-life-threatening injuries and then booked into the Cobb County Jail.

No officers were injured.

The GBI was asked to investigate the officers’ actions. The case will be then handed over to the Cobb County District Attorney’s Office.

This is the first officer-involved incident the GBI has been asked to review this year. In 2022, investigators responded to 112 incidents.