Man dies after Cobb County police officer shoots him with Taser; GBI investigating
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is investigating the death of a man after he was shot with a Taser by Cobb County police on Tuesday.
Officials say the officer hit 47-year-old Timothy Lyle Sheats with the Taser to stop him from walking into traffic.
According to the GBI, the incident began around 6:10 p.m. when officers responded to reports of a hit-and-run accident and found Sheats walking down the roadway.
The report says that Sheats told the officer that he had been shot, but the officer didn't see any visible injuries on his person.
"The officer asked Sheats to get into his patrol car for safety," the GBI report reads. "Sheats refused and started walking into traffic, at one point attempting to enter a passing vehicle."
Officials say Sheats became unresponsive after he was hit by the Taser. Medics rushed him to a local hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
The GBI is working on its investigation into Sheat's death. Once finished, the case will be given to the Cobb County District Attorney's Office to decide whether charges should be filed.
This is the 65th incident involving a police officer that the GBI has been requested to investigate in 2025.