Fourth Officer on Administrative Leave After Fatal Buford Shooting

A fourth officer has been placed on administrative leave in connection with the fatal shooting of a 20-year-old Buford man on Dec. 4. Three officers had already been placed on leave following the Tuesday night incident.

Placing an officer on administrative leave is normal procedure in shooting cases, explained Gwinnett County Police public information officer Cpl. Jake Smith.

On Wednesday afternoon, police released new details regarding the investigation.

Shortly after 8 p.m. on Dec. 4, Gwinnett County Police were dispatched to a small apartment complex in response to a report of people smoking marijuana. Upon arrival, officers encountered a group of five people in the parking lot.

One of those individuals, 20-year-old Jose Antonio Hernandez-Gonzalez of Buford, produced a handgun.

"Once Hernandez produced the handgun, a verbal exchange occurred, which lasted for approximately six minutes," Smith said in a released statement. "During this time, Hernandez held the gun to his own head, and did not threaten officers or bystanders." 

Officers ordered Hernandez to drop the gun, but he failed to comply reportedly telling officers they would have to shoot him.

Read more on Buford Patch.

Don’t miss any Buford news. Subscribe to Buford Patch’s free newsletter, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.