Man fatally shot by police officer who also died after being dragged by car
"He was a model officer," said Holly Springs Police Chief Tom Keheley
Officer Joe Burson of Georgia died on Thursday after fatally shooting a man.
The Holly Springs police officer was just 25-years-old and new on the force but was already considered a outstanding colleague, per People. The incident all started when he stopped a man for speeding and then fatally shot him.
According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, around 11 p.m. on June 16, the officer and his colleagues stopped a car along Harmony Lake Drive and Hickory Road for speeding.
“At some point during the traffic stop, the driver of the vehicle, a man later identified as Ansy Dolce, 29, of Cherokee County, attempted to escape in his car,” per a statement.
The statement continues with: “Dolce dragged Holly Springs Police Officer Joe Burson, age 25, down Hickory Road until the vehicle crashed. During the incident, Burson fired shots at Dolce.”
Both men were administered aid on the scene but perished from their injuries at the hospital.
“He was a model officer,” said Holly Springs Police Chief Tom Keheley. “If you had the ability to clone your officers, you want your officer to be Joe Burson.”
A shift supervisor was present at the time of the incident, along with other officers who wore body cams.
“There were a number of officers on scene,” said Keheley, per NBC News. “Most all, if not all, had body cameras. It would depend on the time they arrived as to how much valuable footage there is. And yes, there was car camera footage as well.”
In a similar case, an Ohio police officer is seen running over a shooting victim with her squad car Sunday night. She has been placed on administrative leave, as reported by theGrio.
Authorities in Springfield and other law enforcement agencies are investigating the incident in which Officer Amanda Rosales ran over 42-year-old Eric Cole, who was lying in the street on his back after being shot.
Cole, who had been shot in his left arm and shoulder was airlifted to the hospital, but pronounced dead Monday after midnight.
His actual cause of death has not been released. The Montgomery County Coroner’s Office will perform an autopsy and toxicology tests, the results of which could take up to 12 weeks.
Her colleagues contend that Rosales accidentally rolled over Cole as she was looking for him.
“The lead officer was trying to catch addresses on the house. Eric was lying in the street,” Springfield Police Chief Lee Graf said at a news conference Wednesday, according to NBC News. “This was an accident. It doesn’t mean it’s okay. It was an accident. This was not an intentional act on the part of the officer. I am sure of that.”
Springfield NAACP President Denise Williams also spoke Wednesday and addressed Cole’s mother, Regina Wilson, saying accountability is paramount.
“We will have every piece of paper with information on it. That’s our job,” Williams told Wilson. “We will ask all of the hard questions, and I guarantee you there will be complete transparency.”
The incident will be investigated by local officials and the Ohio State Highway Patrol. According to reports, Officer Rosales has been with the force for 18 months.
Additional reporting by Biba Adams
Have you subscribed to theGrio’s podcast “Dear Culture”? Download our newest episodes now!
TheGrio is now on Apple TV, Amazon Fire, and Roku. Download theGrio today!
