Wednesday, February 28, 2001

Fayette man shot, killed as officer attempted to free himself from car By JOHN MUNFORD jmunford@TheCitizenNews.com A Fayette County resident was shot and killed recently after trying to get away from police during a traffic stop in Clayton County. Brian Christopher Brooks, 25, was pulled over Feb. 16 after a brief high-speed chase for driving a stolen automobile, according to the Clayton County Police Department. Sgt. Matt Bayne attempted to get Brooks out of the car, but he became combative and drove off, dragging Bayne, who was unable to free himself from the car, police said. Bayne then fired his service pistol at the vehicle and he became freed from the car at that time, police said. The vehicle came to a stop on Morrow Road near Graceland Circle, and Brooks was found with a gunshot wound to the head, police said. The incident is under investigation by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Affairs Unit of the Clayton County Police Department with the assistance of the Morrow Police Department. The vehicle was reportedly stolen from the Comfort Inn Motel on Old Dixie Road, police said. Brooks was originally spotted driving the stolen car just before midnight, according to police reports. After a brief chase, Brooks stopped the vehicle and two Morrow policemen helped get a passenger out of the car, police said. But then Brooks started a physical struggle with Sgt. Bayne and pulled away, dragging the officer on the ground. Bayne received minor injuries during the incident. What do you think of this story? Click here to send a message to the editor. Back to News Home Page | Back to the top of the page