SNELLVILLE, Ga. (AP) — The 18-year-old man accused of fatally shooting a police officer near a school in the Atlanta area over the weekend was shot and killed by another officer Monday, police said.
Tafahree Maynard was the second of two men charged in the fatal shooting Saturday of Gwinnett County police Officer Antwan Toney. Police believe Maynard shot Toney and he was the subject of an area manhunt as he faced charges of aggravated assault and felony murder.
Gwinnett County police Chief Butch Ayers told reporters police got a credible tip about Maynard’s whereabouts around 3 a.m. Monday morning. Dozens of police officers went door-to-door in a searching for him.
Two officers searching a shed behind a house encountered Maynard, who failed to comply with verbal commands, Ayers said. Maynard had an “edged weapon” in his hand, the chief said.
One officer fired a stun gun at Maynard and the other fatally shot him from about 5 or 6 feet (1.5 meters or 1.8 meters) away, Ayers said.
Officer Toney’s fatal shooting happened Saturday afternoon near a middle school in the Snellville area, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) northeast of Atlanta.
Toney died at a hospital over the weekend from his wounds, police said. The 30-year-old from Southern California had been with the Gwinnett County Police Department for nearly three years, serving in his first police job.
“The people that worked with Officer Toney on a daily basis recalled a very jovial person who was dedicated to his job and dedicated to his community,” Ayers said.
Toney and other officers initially responded to a call about a suspicious vehicle near a school, police said. When the officers approached, someone in the vehicle opened fire and Toney was hit. Then the vehicle sped off.
A second suspect, 19-year-old Isaiah Pretlow, was charged with aggravated assault for allegedly pointing a gun at an officer during the pursuit after Toney’s fatal shooting, police had said earlier.
According to police, Pretlow drove the vehicle away after the shooting, crashed a short distance away and fled along with other occupants. An officer searching the area later encountered Pretlow around p.m. Pretlow pointed a gun at the officer, who fired shots, according to a statement. Pretlow was not hit and fled into some woods. He was subsequently taken into custody by U.S. Marshals.
