Troup County man dead after encounter with sheriff's deputies

TROUP COUNTY, Ga. - A 52-year-old man is dead in Troup County after an encounter with Troup County Sheriff's Office on March 7.

TCSO says they responded to a home on Shoemaker Road around 9:30 p.m. because a person with a gun was reportedly threatening to shoot himself and possibly harm several people in the home, including a small child.

Deputies were able to convince the man, identified as 52-year-old Russell Heiser, to allow the others to leave the home and for him to come outside also, according to a press release.

A short time later, everyone except Heiser safely exited the home.

Around 11:45 p.m., Heiser came out and placed the gun on the porch railing and continued to talk with deputies.

Shortly after midnight, a deputy deployed a taser after Heiser attempted to run towards the gun.

However, Heiser was able to get the gun and pointed it at the deputies. The deputies fired multiple rounds at Heiser as he ran into the house, according to the sheriff's office.

Deputies then heard a gunshot from inside the home.

Deputies found Heiser unresponsive from what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The Troop County Fire Department and AMR personnel began treating the man and he was transported to Wellstar West Georgia Medical where he later died.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation was asked to investigate the shooting, which is standard procedure when police officers have been involved in a shooting.