Prosecutors seeking death penalty for man accused of killing Gwinnett County police officer
Prosecutors say they plan to seek the death penalty for the man accused of shooting and killing a Gwinnett County police officer at a hotel last month.
In court on Tuesday, Gwinnett County Chief Assistant District Attorney John Melvin said that they would ask for the death penalty for 35-year-old Kevin Andrews.
Andrews is charged with malice murder, felony murder, two counts of aggravated assault on a public safety officer and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
The shootout happened on the morning of Feb. 1 near Stone Mountain. According to officials, Officer Pradeep Tamang and Office David Reed were dispatched to the hotel after a caller in another South Carolina reported someone had fraudulently used their credit card there, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said in a statement. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said the front desk clerk directed the officers to the room of the person who had used the credit card, identified as Andrews.
Gwinnett County Police Chief J.D. McClure said that during the encounter, Andrews produced a handgun and opened fire without warning. Tamang was fatally wounded and later died at Northside Gwinnett Hospital. Reed was also shot and had to undergo surgery.
Authorities say Andrews had a lengthy criminal history and as a convicted felon should not have been allowed to have a gun.
Tamang, a native of Nepal, immigrated to the United States about a decade ago and later settled in Georgia. He joined the Gwinnett County Police Department in July 2024 and graduated from the department's 121st Police Academy last May. McClure described him as a dedicated young officer who had embraced the responsibility of serving the community.
"Pradeep absolutely loved being police officer and took great pride in his work," the Gwinnett County Police Department wrote in a tribute on Facebook. He was always excited to share his experiences and stories, and he genuinely looked forward to going to work each day. Serving and protecting the community meant a lot to him."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
