South Fulton officer critical, Fulton officer injured in deadly shootout

SOUTH FULTON, Ga. - Two police officers were injured and a suspect was killed in a shooting outside a motel along Fulton Industrial Boulevard on Friday morning. Authorities say the incident unfolded just outside the city limits of South Fulton, near the Budgetel Inn and Suites at 4120 Fulton Industrial Blvd.

The suspect was identified as 29-year-old Rashan Jarvis Cofield on Friday evening. 

What we know:

South Fulton Police Chief Keith Meadows said the shooting began around 11:40 a.m. after a Fulton County police officer stopped to speak with a person jaywalking near the hotel. The individual was described as suspicious, and the officer initiated what Meadows called a "suspicious person stop."

Lt. Charles Cook with the South Fulton Police Department was traveling through Fulton County when he saw the Fulton County officer engaged in the stop and pulled over to assist.

According to Chief Meadows, the suspect opened fire after Lt. Cook exited his vehicle. Cook was struck at least three times and was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital in critical condition. 

According to Fulton County Police Chief Wade Yates, after Lt. Cook was shot, the suspect took off running and their officer chased the suspect. There was another exchange of gunfire and it was at that time that the suspect was killed.

The Fulton County officer then returned to the scene of the initial shooting and used a tourniquet on Lt. Cook, which may have helped save his life.

The Fulton County officer, who has been identified as Officer Zahir Muid, suffered minor, superficial injuries. The officer was also taken to the hospital, where his mother and grandmother joined him. FOX 5 Atlanta was informed at approximately 6:30 p.m. that Officer Muid, who has been with Fulton County since Dec. 4, 2024, was treated and released from the hospital.

Chief Meadows said the Georgia Bureau of Investigation has been called in to conduct an independent investigation, which is standard protocol in officer-involved shootings. 

Officers were seen placing evidence markers around the hotel and blocking off part of the road. SKYFOX 5 captured video of someone being placed in handcuffs near the scene, though authorities have not confirmed if that individual is connected to the shooting.

Lt. Cook’s family is also at the hospital with him. Chief Meadows noted that Cook is one of the original members of the relatively new South Fulton Police Department and that the agency has had a difficult week following the recent death of another officer, Lt. Helio Garcia.

"We haven’t been short on support from across the region," Meadows said.

As of midday on Saturday, Lt. Cook was out of surgery and was recovering in ICU.

What they're saying:

Jeremy Snow was behind the wheel of his van, traveling along the 4100 block of Fulton Industrial Boulevard near Interstate 20 at around 11:30 a.m. when he saw a man open fire on a police officer, shooting him multiple times.

"The man fired multiple, multiple times. "I mean, probably, over 9 or 10 shots," said Snow.

"The officer detained a man and the man got… sort of got away from the officer, and pulled out a pistol and started to fire on him. And at that point in time, the man started looking around at other people, and I was worried I might be a target myself, so I ducked down into the floorboard of my van," Snow told FOX 5 Atlanta.

Quielan Johnson watched it all unfold from a hotel window.

"I woke up to the gunshots. It was a good bit of them. And then, like when I woke up, I went to the window to see what was going on, and all I seen was a dude, like, running into the hotel room," Johnson said. 

"And it's like, I don't know if he was shot already, but it seemed like he was, because he fell over. And immediately after he fell over, he put the gun to his own head and shot itself. And it's like, I don't know," Johnson said.

Dig deeper:

FOX 5 is learning more about the two police officers who were injured on Friday morning during a shooting in Fulton County.

Lt. Charles Cook is one of the original members of the South Fulton Police Department, which was formed in 2018.

Before that, Cook worked for the Fulton County Police Department for 24 years.

According to his LinkedIn profile, Cook is a certified drone pilot and a senior law enforcement training instructor. He graduated from the University of West Georgia in 1991.

Fulton County Officer Zahir Muid joined the Fulton County Police Department on Dec. 4, 2024. According to Fulton County Police Chief Yates, Muid came to Fulton from another law enforcement agency and has several years of experience.

During a press conference on Friday afternoon, South Fulton Police Chief Keith Meadows and Chief Yates described how each officer may have saved the other's life.

Chief Meadows said he spoke to the Fulton County officer while he was still at Grady Memorial Hospital, and the officer told him that Lt. Cook probably saved his life by stopping to help when he did.

After Lt. Cook was shot, and the suspect was also down. Officer Muid returned to the scene and applied a tourniquet to Lt. Cook to prevent further blood loss.

"Part of our training is tourniquet training, and we issue all of our officers a tourniquet," Chief Yates said. "We believe that... might've saved the South Fulton police officer's life today... the officer put a tourniquet on him."

What's next:

The Clayton County Sheriff's Office is currently assisting with 911 operations while the South Fulton department navigates the aftermath of the incident.

The investigation remains in its early stages. 

This story is developing. Check back for details. If you have additional information, pictures, or video, email newstipsatlanta@fox.com.

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