By Caroline Silva
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

ROSWELL, Ga. — A suspect is in custody after an officer was fatally shot Friday evening at a Roswell shopping complex, police said.

The shooting happened in the parking lot in the 1400 block of Market Boulevard off Holcomb Bridge Road. Officers responded to the area around 7 p.m. after a 911 call about a suspicious person, police Chief James Conroy said during a news conference at the scene.

“I’m sorry tonight to share the devastating news that the city of Roswell lost a police officer this evening,” Conroy told reporters.

Responding officers initially encountered the suspect behind the shopping center, and he “almost immediately produced a handgun,” Conroy said. The suspect is then accused of shooting the officer multiple times.

First responders attempted to render aid to the officer, who was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead. The officer was not publicly identified.

Conroy said other officers were able to locate the suspect nearby. The man was arrested but not publicly identified.

“More information will be released in the coming days, but our priority now is to surround and support the family of our fallen officer and grieving department. We ask that your hearts and your prayers stand with us in doing the same,” the police department wrote in a social media post.

The Roswell Police Department has previously only lost one officer in the line of duty, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page, which tracks law enforcement deaths. On June 14, 1986 , Officer Leslie G. Warden was killed when he was struck by a drunk driver while assisting at a crash scene on I-285 .

The officer killed Friday was the first from Georgia to be killed in the line of duty this year. In 2024, six Georgia officers died on the job.

Across the U.S. , seven other officers have been killed this year, including one earlier this week, according to the ODMP. On Tuesday, Officer Jason Roscow with the North Las Vegas Police Department died after being shot multiple times, according to investigators. Roscow had served with the department for 17 years.

After Friday’s fatal shooting, numerous heartfelt messages poured in from elected officials and police departments across Georgia .

Gov. Brian Kemp , in a post on X, said he, Marty Kemp and their children would be praying for the officer’s friends and family.

“We join them, his fellow Roswell PD, and all law enforcement in mourning this sudden and heartbreaking loss, and we ask all Georgians to join us in keeping them in your thoughts and prayers,” Kemp wrote. “May this courageous man’s memory inspire all of us in the days, weeks, and years ahead.”

Chattahoochee Hills Police Department Chief Kevin Digou wrote in a Facebook post that there are no words to ease the pain of losing a fellow officer.

“Their service and sacrifice will never be forgotten,” Digou said.

The GBI has been asked to investigate Friday’s shooting but has not released information.

— Staff writer Alexis Stevens contributed to this article.

©2025 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Visit at ajc.com.
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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