UPDATE: Americus Suspect Who Shot Two Officers, One Fatally, is Dead
[UPDATE: December 8, 2016 11:20 a.m.]
Americus Police have confirmed that the suspect who shot at two officers, killing one of them, has died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Police worked tirelessly through the night looking for clues as to the whereabouts of Minquell Lembrick. Around 10:30 a.m., there was a heavy police and SWAT team presence in an Americus neighborhood. Soon after, reports showed the suspect to be dead.
Hospital officials have said Jody Smith, the Georgia Southwestern campus officer who was wounded is now listed in stable condition.
Reports show Smith and deceased Americus officer, Nicholas Smarr, were part of the same training camp when becoming police officers.
Original story posted below.
Two officers have been shot, one fatally, in Americus, Georgia on Wednesday, December 7.
In a press conference, Police Chief Mark Scott said that an Americus police officer and a Georgia Southwestern State University campus officer responded to a domestic call at an apartment complex near the university campus that morning.
When the two officers arrived, the suspect discharged his weapon, killing Americus officer Nicholas Smarr, 25, and injuring Georgia Southwestern officer Jody Smith. Smith was air-lifted to a hospital in critical condition. Specifics on his injuries are unknown at this time.
After the shootout, the suspect, identified later as Minquell Lembrick, escaped from the scene of the crime, prompting the Georgia Southwestern to lockdown the campus. Students were told to stay indoors, avoid windows and doors and to keep lights out.
An hour after the shooting, a Facebook account under the name “Minguell Gstreet Lembrick” went live for four seconds. In the video, a man can be seen saying, “I’m going to miss y’all.” The video was viewed almost 20,000 times before it and the account were removed.
Around 2 p.m., 6 hours after Georgia Southwestern State University first went into lockdown, the school tweeted that officers would be doing a building by building release of students. December 7 was the last day in the regular semester for students, and many were trying to leave to go out of town for the holiday.
As of the morning of Thursday, December 8 officers are still on the lookout for Lembrick. The reward, originally set at $20,000, was raised to $50,000 by donations for any information that may lead to the arrest of the suspect. If you, or anyone you know, has any information police have given the number 229-924-3677 as a way to reach investigators.