18-Year-Old Killed in Newnan Police Shooting After GBI Says He Pulled Gun

An 18-year-old Newnan man was shot and killed by a Newnan Police Department officer early Saturday after the GBI says he ran from the officer during a traffic encounter and pulled a gun from his waistband.

Zadarious Dorsey, 18, of Newnan, later died at an area hospital following the shooting, which happened shortly after 1 a.m. October 3.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is conducting an independent investigation at the request of the Newnan Police Department.

According to preliminary information released by the GBI, a Newnan Police Department officer saw a white car driving near the intersection of Dodson Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Drive at about 1 a.m. The officer followed the vehicle until it stopped on Cliff Circle.

The officer approached the car and attempted to speak with the driver, according to the GBI.

Five men then got out of the vehicle. One walked toward a nearby home, while the other four ran away.

The officer chased one of the men, later identified as Dorsey.

During the foot pursuit, the officer ordered Dorsey to stop, but Dorsey continued running, according to the GBI. The officer deployed a Taser, but the agency said it was ineffective.

The GBI said the officer then saw Dorsey pull a gun from his waistband area.

According to the agency, the officer ordered Dorsey to stop and drop the gun before shooting him multiple times.

Officers provided medical aid until emergency medical personnel arrived. Dorsey was taken to an area hospital, where he later died from his injuries.

No officers were injured.

The GBI said a gun was recovered at the scene.

Dorsey’s body will be taken to the GBI Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy.

The circumstances surrounding the shooting remain under investigation. The GBI’s account is preliminary, and the agency has not released the name of the Newnan Police Department officer involved or additional information about why the officer initially followed the vehicle.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact the GBI Regional Office in Columbus at 706-565-7888. Anonymous tips may also be submitted by calling 1-800-597-TIPS (8477), through the GBI’s online tip system, or through the See Something, Send Something mobile app.

Once the GBI completes its investigation, the case will be forwarded to the Coweta Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office for review.