Authorities have announced that a Forsyth County attorney was shot and killed by a deputy during a domestic incident call Tuesday evening.
According to Cpl. Doug Rainwater, spokesman for the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office, Charles Spillers, 65, of Spillers Law Firm in Cumming was killed after he “brandished a gun” at deputies inside his west Forsyth residence.
Rainwater said that two deputies were initially sent to Spiller’s residence on Carbonne Court in the Marseille subdivision in west Forsyth at 10:09 p.m. on Tuesday after someone called 911 and hung up. A 911 dispatcher was able to make contact with a woman in the home who said she was involved in a dispute with her husband.
A news release by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation on the incident stated that when deputies arrived at the residence, they determined that physical altercation had occurred between Spillers and his wife. At that point, a third deputy, a sergeant, joined the response – which is their protocol for a domestic dispute.
Cpl. Rainwater said a woman let the deputies in the home, and moments later Spillers appeared "brandishing a gun."
"At this point, one of our deputies took defensive action and shot and killed the husband," Rainwater said. "Very quickly it went from making sure the female was OK to one of the deputies using deadly force."
The GBI release stated that Spillers was struck “multiple times” by gunfire and died from his injuries at the scene.
Spillers autopsy will be performed by the GBI Medical Examiner’s Office in Decatur, DeKalb County, and the incident will continue to be investigated by the GBI.
Rainwater said the deputies involved in the incident have been placed on paid administrative leave during the investigation.
The website for Spillers Law Firm states that Spillers specialized as a workers compensation attorney
Online Editor Jim Dean contributed to this report.