Suspect identified in shooting of Forsyth County Deputy

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation spent the night on the scene and continues to investigate the shooting of a Forsyth County Sheriff's deputy and ensuing standoff with the suspect Sunday.

 

Deputies responded to a domestic related call on Akins Way in Hickory Hills subdivision at roughly 2:04 p.m. Sunday.  Deputy Doug Rainwater said while they were talking to the female caller outside of a residence, a man, identified as Elias Alexander Quintero, 35, of Cumming, opened fire on them through a window. Rainwater said in an update that Quintero lived at the residence.

 

"The deputies naturally took cover.  One deputy was struck in the leg.  (The) Lt. pulled him to safety behind his patrol car.  Two other deputies remained there, pretty much in a gun battle for a few seconds," Rainwater said.

 

The wounded deputy was later identified as Deputy First Class Jon Beival, a six-year veteran of the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office who works in the North Precinct, Uniform Patrol Division.

 

After the arrival of SWAT teams, Rainwater said authorities attempted negotiations with Quintero for about three hours.

 

A robot with a camera was sent into the house after two rounds of tear gas failed to solicit any movement inside.  Camera images indicated the suspect was not moving.  SWAT teams entered the residence and discovered the Quintero had died of a self-inflicted gunshot, according to Rainwater.

 

Beival was hit in his legs but is expected to make full recovery.

 

"It did not intrude into a lot of different things that make the leg work, so that's the reason why he was able to be patched up and taken care of at the hospital and sent back home," Rainwater said.

 

Beival suffered one wound to each leg, but Rainwater said investigators at this point believe they came from one bullet.  

 

The original female caller escaped injury.   Deputy Beival is recovering at home, and Rainwater said he'll be off of active duty for a while. Meanwhile, the two deputies who returned the suspect's initial gunfire have been placed on routine administrative leave with pay. This is standard policy for any officer-involved shooting. 

 

Authorities have not yet released details about a possible motive.

 

The Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office SWAT team, members of the North Fulton SWAT. team, Georgia State Patrol officers and
aviation and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation assisted Forsyth County during the standoff.