Deputies kill man accused of firing shots during Pickens County house fire
PICKENS COUNTY, Ga. - Deputies in Pickens County have shot and killed a man accused of opening fire at them when they arrived at a house fire late Tuesday night.
Officials say deputies were called to the home on the 200 block of Jay Moss Lane in Talking Rock, Georgia shortly before midnight after they received reports of a fire and the sound of shots being fired.
When they got to the location, deputies found the house on fire and say they realized they were in a dangerous situation.
At the scene, officials say they met the homeowner, identified as 65-year-old Frank Jerry Millsapps, who was armed with a shotgun. According to the GBI, Millsapps refused to put the firearm down and began walking toward the deputy, leading to both sides shooting at each other.
"He began to shoot at them once they arrived at the scene," Pickens County Sheriff's Office Capt. John Cagle.
Investigators say a bullet hit one of the department's patrol vehicles. Deputies hit Millsapps at least once. His body was later found in the home's driveway.
According to deputies, the man apparently set fire to the home and shot at a neighbor before they got there.
No one else was inside, but the home was completely destroyed.
"The house was empty at the time, and it was fully engulfed in flames and burned down," Cagle said,
Investigators say Millsapps lived in the home with his wife, who wasn't home at the time of the confrontation with law enforcement.
This reportedly wasn't the first time that law enforcement have been to the home.
"There have been some problems in the past, some calls to the residence, but I'm not ready to go into those details nows," Cagle said.
No deputies were injured in the shooting.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has now taken charge of the investigation and will submit its own independent investigation to the district attorney for review. This is the 21st officer-involved shooting the GBI has been requested to investigate this year.