ATLANTA — A North Georgia postal worker was shot to death on Saturday while he was delivering mail on his morning route, officials said.
The suspected gunman in the incident opened fire on a group of deputies investigating the death, leading to an officer-involved shooting, the Banks County Sheriff's Office said in a statement.
Deputies received a 911 call about an "intentional shooting" about 9:40 a.m. Saturday, the sheriff's office said. When they arrived to investigate, they found 59-year-old Asa Wood of Commerce dead of a gunshot wound.
Investigators determined Wood had been shot while working on his route in a rural area. Authorities soon identified a "person of interest" and built a description for the car that person might be driving.
A group of deputies spotted the car they were looking for while patrolling the area near Ga. 51 and Bennett Road, the sheriff's office said.
Deputies tried to stop the car, but the driver sped away, prompting a pursuit, officials said. When an officer disabled the car with a PIT maneuver, the driver got out and "began firing upon deputies," the sheriff's office said.
"Deputies returned fire, striking the offender," the sheriff's office said. "The offender sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was transported to a local hospital for treatment."
No deputies were injured during the incident. The deputies involved were placed on paid administrative leave pending an investigation by the GBI, the Banks sheriff's office said.
"The Banks County Sheriff's Office is working in tandem with the US Postal Inspectors, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Banks County Coroner's Office," the agency said.
No other details were released. The GBI has not confirmed its involvement in the investigation.
