Richard Preston Johnson, 35, of McDonough, Georgia, was shot and killed by a Clayton County police officer on Sunday, October 1, 2023, during a patrol encounter in Jonesboro. An officer on Kendrick Road observed Johnson making a hand gesture as if pointing a gun. Johnson fled on foot; a chase led behind a nearby residence. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation reports that Johnson then brandished a handgun and aimed it at the pursuing officer, who fired and struck him.

Johnson was taken to Southern Regional Hospital, where he died. The officer was not injured and has not been publicly identified. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is handling the officer-involved shooting probe and will forward its findings to the Clayton Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office for review.

If anyone witnessed the chase or the moments before the shooting, or has information about the incident, please share what is known with investigators.