Fitzgerald Man dead after Galleria Mall standoff 

UPDATE: Michael Dwayne Bell, 37, of Fitzgerald was shot and killed in the incident, according to the GBI. Preliminary information indicates at approximately 3:45 a.m., officers from the Centerville Police Department, Warner Robins Police Department and Byron Police Department came into contact with Bell. 

Officers were attempting to enter the vehicle when Bell fired a gun from inside the vehicle, striking a Warner Robins police officer.

Officers attempted to communicate with Bell. According to the GBI, at about 6:20 a.m., after no response from Bell, officers entered the vehicle and found he was dead.

The wounded police officer was taken to the Atrium Navicent Medical Center in Macon to be treated for his injury. He is expected to survive. No other officers were injured during the incident, GBI said.

The investigation is still active and ongoing. Once the investigation is complete, the case file will be given to the Houston County District Attorney’s Office for review.

Friday’s incident marked the second officer-involved shooting this week following an Aug. 3 shooting in Warner Robins.

CENTERVILLE – An active incident occurred in the Galleria Mall parking lot on the morning of Monday, Aug. 8, resulting in a Warner Robins police officer being wounded. 

The Centerville Police Department reported that officers were sent to the parking lot of Crunch Fitness following a request from the Byron Police Department. They were asked to search for a tractor-trailer believed to be driven by a suspect involved in a domestic altercation.

Upon arriving and finding the truck in the mall parking lot, the officers approached the suspect by knocking on the side of the vehicle and announcing themselves as police officers. According to the press release, the suspect refused to comply and opened fire on the officers, injuring a Warner Robins police officer.

Officers returned fire and established a perimeter around the area. The scene was secured until SWAT arrived, according to the CPD. 

Around 5:30 a.m., Warner Robins Police Department urged the public to avoid the area while officers negotiated with the armed individual in an effort to convince him to surrender. The Galleria Mall said in a statement the area was cleared around 8:30 a.m.

Due to the officer-involved shooting, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation was contacted to lead the investigation. Any other information will be released by the GBI.

This is a developing story. We will continue to provide updates as more information is made available.