Muscogee County Coroner Buddy Bryan has identified the man killed in Tuesday’s officer-involved shooting as 33-year-old Jerome Willis.
According to Columbus Police Chief Stoney Mathis and Coroner Bryan, Willis was the suspect in the fatal shooting of 44-year-old Alexis Hill, who was killed earlier in the day inside a Dollar General store on Victory Drive.
Following the homicide, Columbus police launched a search for the suspect. Officers later located Willis on Baker Plaza Drive near the former Muscogee County Elementary School.
Authorities said that during the encounter, gunfire was exchanged between officers and the suspect. One Columbus police officer sustained a superficial gunshot wound. A police K-9 named Havoc was also shot and airlifted to Auburn for emergency treatment. Officials confirmed both the officer and the K-9 are expected to survive.
Willis was killed during the exchange of gunfire.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is now leading the investigation into the incident, which is standard procedure for all officer-involved shootings in the state.
Officials say the investigation remains ongoing as authorities work to review all evidence and determine the full sequence of events surrounding both the homicide and the subsequent encounter with police.
