SOUTH FULTON, GA – On Wednesday afternoon, Georgia Bureau of Investigation formally identified 78-year-old Fred Perkins as the man who was killed during an encounter with South Fulton police the previous night. Perkins’ death was the consequence of events set in motion by a 911 call placed by a woman alleging she had been sexually assaulted and attacked by Perkins. She reported that Perkins had both shot at her and physically assaulted her using his gun.
As police moved to apprehend Perkins at the scene, he responded aggressively, armed with a shotgun aimed at the officers. Perkins subsequently retreated into a shed, which incited a return of fire by the police.
Discussing the case, South Fulton Police Chief Keith Meadows explained, “We had our SWAT units come out. After we got a heat signature on that particular shed, it was determined that Mr. Perkins was not moving around inside of the shed. We made entry at that point to offer any medical assistance to Mr. Perkins that we possibly could.”
Once they entered the shed, it was discovered that Perkins had been killed during the gunfight with officers. The incident took place at about 7 p.m. Tuesday in the 4400 block of Roosevelt Highway, South Fulton. According to Meadows, the location was some sort of salvage yard.
The victim was immediately hospitalized for a medical examination. No officers were harmed during the exchange of gunfire. Meadows stated that their police department will now launch an internal investigation to examine whether their policies were observed. Parallel to this, the GBI will investigate the shooting directly.
Once finalized, the GBI will forward the case file to the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office for an unbiased review. Moreover, Meadows assured there is no further threat to the public.