UPDATE: Laurens County Sheriff’s Office says man tried to provoke deputies into shooting him
The GBI says Charles McMahan pointed an "object" at the deputy. Neither man was injured.
UPDATE (10/21/26): The Laurens County Sheriff’s Office says Charles Daniel McMahan threatened to shoot a deputy during Tuesday’s foot pursuit before pointing an unidentified object at three deputies.
According to a Facebook post, deputies repeatedly ordered McMahan to drop the object, but he refused. One deputy fired two rounds at McMahan, but neither struck him.
The sheriff’s office says McMahan then threw the object down and was taken into custody.
During an interview, McMahan told investigators he held the object like a firearm to make deputies believe he was armed and was trying to provoke them into shooting him, according to the sheriff’s office.
The sheriff’s office did not identify the object. The GBI is investigating the deputy’s use of force.
ORIGINAL STORY (10/20/26):
DUBLIN, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – A Laurens County sheriff’s deputy fired at a man during a foot pursuit Tuesday after the man pointed an object at the deputy, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
Neither the deputy nor the man was injured.
The GBI says the deputy approached 36-year-old Charles Daniel McMahan of Dublin, who was riding a bicycle on Fire Tower Road around 2:09 p.m., to speak with him about an ongoing burglary investigation.
McMahan ran away, and the deputy chased him on foot, according to the release.
During the chase, the man pointed an “object” at the deputy, who fired at him but missed, the GBI says. The agency did not identify the object.
The GBI says McMahan was arrested on charges unrelated to the shooting. The Laurens County Sheriff’s Office inmate database lists “administrative inspections and warrants” under his charges and shows he remains in custody.
The sheriff’s office requested the GBI’s independent investigation. Once it is complete, the findings will be provided to the Dublin Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office for review.
If you have information, call the GBI’s Eastman office at (478) 374-6988. Anonymous tips can be submitted by calling 1-800-597-TIPS (8477), through the GBI’s online tip form or through the See Something, Send Something app.
