Man shot and killed inside sheriff's office

Late Tuesday, a man went to the Douglas County Sheriff ’s Office in search of shelter. Within hours, he was dead after things spiraled out of control and a deputy was forced to shoot him inside the facility, officials said.

According to the sheriff and the GBI, 32-year-old Justin Oakes first entered the lobby of the sheriff ’s office about 10:25 p.m.

“At least one deputy and one of our radio operators had contact with him, provided him water,” sheriff ’s Sgt. Jesse Hambrick said.

At some point, Oakes started making “numerous” 911 calls from the bathroom, according to the GBI. He said someone poisoned him.

Two deputies went to check on him about 2:15 a.m. Wednesday. Oakes, authorities said, was barricaded in the restroom. The deputies pushed their way inside, only to discover he had a knife, authorities said.

Deputies deployed a Taser, but Oakes continued moving in their direction with the knife, according to the GBI.

One deputy shot him. Oakes, who had a mental illness, died on the scene, officials said.

“The deputy (did) what he was trained to do,” Sheriff Tim Pounds said during a morning news conference.

The deputy was stabbed at least twice in the process. The other was injured during the confrontation, too. Both were taken to a local hospital and later released.

Their names have not been released.

Pounds said the deputy who shot Oakes has been with the sheriff ’s office for two years.

“He was very, very upset earlier,” the sheriff said. The deputy didn’t want to shoot Oakes.

“No one wants to do that,” Pounds said. “But when he’s forced to do it, then you have no alternative.”

The deadly incident — the 23rd shooting this year in Georgia involving a law enforcement officer — was captured on the deputy’s body camera.

“I looked at the video, slowed it down, looked at it frame by frame,” Pounds said. “They (did) what they had to do and didn’t have a choice.”

The GBI is continuing to look into the shooting, which is standard protocol in use-of-force cases.

JOHN SPINK / JSPINK@AJC.COM The GBI is investigating an officer-involved shooting Wednesday at the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office. The shooting resulted in the death of 32-year-old Justin Oakes.