Man suspected of killing Atlanta woman dies after shooting officer in Henry County: police

HENRY COUNTY, Ga. - A tense standoff in Henry County came to an end on Tuesday after a murder suspect, identified as Derek Rankins, was found deceased. 

The incident unfolded on Linden Lane, near Swan Lake Road and Gardner Road, after officers from the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force attempted to arrest Rankins, who was wanted for the Aug. 20 murder of 32-year-old Courtney Reese in Atlanta.

According to Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum, Rankins was tracked to a residence in Henry County and when officers arrived to apprehend him, Rankins opened fire, striking an officer assigned to the Task Force. The injured officer, an 18-year veteran of the Atlanta Police Department's fugitive unit, was airlifted to Grady Memorial Hospital in a helicopter provided by the Henry County Sheriff's Office.

Fortunately, the officer is expected to make a full recovery.

"This is a dangerous job, and I'm so thankful to the men and women every day who say yes," Chief Darin Schierbaum shared at a news conference outside of Grady Memorial Hospital.

Rankins was later found dead inside the home, according to police. However, Chief Schierbaum did not confirm whether Rankins died by his own hand or was shot by someone else, stating that the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) will be conducting a thorough investigation into the incident to determine the exact circumstances of his death.

The relationship between Rankins and Reese is unknown. 

As the investigation continues, further details are expected to be released by the GBI.

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens issued the following statement: 

Mayor Andre Dickens issued the following statement following the non-life-threatening injury an APD Investigator sustained when shot in the arm in the line of duty.

"Please join me in keeping our APD Investigator in your prayers as he recovers from being shot in the line of duty while serving a warrant. I spoke with him briefly and thankfully his injuries were to the arm and are not life-threatening. While authorities are still gathering details, we do know that the suspect was wanted for murder in our city—a horrible act of domestic violence that took the life of a mother of four—and this man barricaded himself in the house, shot at law enforcement and had no business having a gun in the first place. Domestic violence is a national crisis, and we must all band together and say, ‘no more.’ Thank you to all our public safety officials who run toward danger each and every day and thank you to the professionals at Grady Hospital who give world-class care."

There have been two fatal shootings involving law enforcement officers in the metro Atlanta area.

Paulding County Sheriff's Office Deputy Brandon Cunningham was shot while responding to a domestic violence incident. 

Carroll County Sheriff's Office Deputy Taylor Bristow also died after being shot while assisting the GBI in serving a search warrant on an individual under suspicion for "children sexual exploitation."

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