WARM SPRINGS, Ga. — A Warm Springs police officer was fatally shot while sitting in his patrol vehicle late Tuesday night, triggering a multi-agency search that ended Wednesday in South Carolina when the man authorities identified as the suspect was found with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound and later died.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation identified the officer as Chris Fisher, a member of the Warm Springs Police Department. Fisher was on duty shortly before midnight on Sept. 1 after completing an unrelated traffic stop.
Investigators said Fisher had parked his patrol vehicle at the Meriwether Country Inn on Spring Street when a black 2026 Chevrolet Silverado pulled alongside him at about 11:57 p.m. The driver, identified as 23-year-old Jimmy Lee Steverson of Warm Springs, allegedly fired multiple shots into Fisher’s patrol car before leaving the area.
Fisher was pronounced dead at the scene.
Search for suspect crossed state lines
The shooting led authorities to issue a statewide Blue Alert for Steverson as law enforcement agencies searched for him. The investigation involved the Georgia State Patrol, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Marshals Service, Homeland Security Investigations and several local law enforcement agencies.
Authorities described Steverson as armed and dangerous as the search continued Wednesday morning.
The investigation later moved across the state line into South Carolina.
At about 11:39 a.m. Wednesday, deputies with the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office stopped a vehicle in Anderson, South Carolina. Steverson was riding as a passenger, according to the GBI.
When officers approached the vehicle, they found Steverson suffering from what investigators described as an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was taken to a local hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
Two other people were reportedly inside the vehicle at the time of the traffic stop.
Fisher had arrested Steverson days earlier
Additional records reviewed after the shooting showed that Fisher had encountered Steverson before the deadly attack.
Fisher arrested Steverson on Aug. 28 in connection with felony allegations involving obstruction, possession of a firearm during an attempted crime and marijuana possession. Court records also indicate that the earlier encounter became confrontational while Fisher was carrying out his duties.
Authorities have not publicly established a motive for the shooting or confirmed whether the earlier arrest was connected to Fisher’s killing. The GBI continues to investigate those circumstances.
Fisher had joined the Warm Springs Police Department in May and was promoted to sergeant in July. Before joining the department, he had worked with the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office as well as other Georgia law enforcement agencies.
Colleagues remember Fisher
The Fayette County Sheriff’s Office, where Fisher worked from 2018 through 2025, released a statement mourning the officer.
The agency described Fisher as a dedicated law enforcement officer who served his community with pride and said he would continue to be remembered as a friend and brother to those who worked with him.
Fisher’s death also drew a response from Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, who expressed condolences to Fisher’s family and fellow officers. Kemp said the killing was a reminder of the dangers law enforcement officers face while serving their communities.
Fisher was a husband and father of two children, according to local reporting.
Investigation remains active
The GBI is conducting an independent investigation into Fisher’s death. An autopsy is also being conducted as part of the investigation.
Once the investigation is completed, the case file will be turned over to the Coweta Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office.
Investigators have not announced a final motive or provided further details about what led to the shooting. The circumstances surrounding Steverson’s death in South Carolina also remain part of the ongoing investigation.
