SWAT team kills suspect who allegedly pointed gun at Cobb County officer

After hours on the run, a murder suspect who prompted a large police search in Cobb County was shot and killed during a confrontation on Tuesday night, authorities said.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation reported that a Cobb County SWAT team found 31-year-old Damian Strozier in the woods behind an apartment complex by Leland Drive.

According to the GBI, multiple officers fired at Strozier, hitting him. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The deadly shooting came roughly eight hours after the search began earlier in the afternoon.

Police said officers were initially trying to locate Strozier around 1 p.m. near Leland Road and Windy Hill Road. He was wanted on a murder warrant issued by the Atlanta Police Department.

Investigators said Strozier was armed and pointed a gun at an officer, prompting the officer to fire. Strozier then ran from the scene, triggering a large manhunt that included roadblocks and a heavy police presence in the area.

After officers killed Strozier, the man's family claimed that he was unarmed and that they were on the phone with him trying to get him to turn himself in.

"He said, 'Bro, they gonna kill me. Bro, they gonna kill me.' I said, "But listen to me, bro." I said, "Listen, just make sure you don't have nothing. Put your hands up,'" one of Strozier's family members said. "They didn't say anything. They didn't say that. We was all on the phone. They didn't stay freeze. They just shot my brother, man. They just killed him in cold blood."

No officers were injured in the encounter.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is reviewing the officer-involved shooting, as is standard procedure.