SHOOTING DEATH CALLS FOR DETAILED INVESTIGATION

The shooting death of Jonathan Ayers, a 28-year-old minister at Lavonia's
Shoal Creek Baptist Church, by local drug enforcement officers paints a
disturbing picture of local law enforcement.

The shooting is under investigation by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
Currently this newspaper can't draw definite conclusions, but there are
some things that are apparent and obvious.

It appears that on Sept. 1, Ayers was seen in his car with a woman who was
under investigation by the recently-formed Mountain Judicial Circuit
Narcotics Criminal Investigation and Suppression Team. She had twice sold
drugs to undercover officers, according to police.

The shooting took place at a Shell station in Toccoa, where a security
camera captured the turn of events.

According to police reports, the undercover officers followed Ayers to the
gas station after he dropped the woman off in town.

Ayers went inside the store to use the ATM, police said.

From the store's surveillance camera tapes it appears the narcotics
officers drove into the convenience store parking lot in an unmarked
dark-colored Cadillac Escalade after Ayers returned to his car. According
to reports, as Ayers was backing his car the officers jumped out of their
vehicle, reportedly identifying themselves as police and ordering him to
open his door.

Instead, Ayers continued backing up, bumped one of the officers and then
drove away. One of the officers shot at him twice. Ayers crashed a short
distance away and died following surgery at Stephens County Hospital in Toccoa.

Witnesses stated the officers pounded on Ayers' car and had their guns
drawn. At the time of the shooting at least one customer was pumping gas
and other people were in both the parking lot and in the store.

According to official reports, Ayers was not under investigation for drugs
but the undercover officers wanted to question him.

The GBI is investigating the shooting and the officers are on paid
administrative leave.

Apparent and obvious conclusions are that this situation never should have
occurred.

If Ayers was not the target of investigation, why didn't officers just
block his car in its parking place or have a marked patrol car stop Ayers?

Why did the undercover officers, who were not easily identifiable as
police, come speeding up to Ayers' car, not clearly identify themselves,
pound on his car and wave guns?

Bad gets worse. What is the thinking of these policemen that they would
start shooting at a moving car in close proximity to bystanders and a busy
street?

Mountain Judicial Circuit District Attorney Brian Rickman was correct when
he said, "when you have a tragic death, people want immediate answers."

Stephens County Sheriff Randy Shirley, who has varied his story of what
occurred that afternoon, termed the sequence of events a "rapidly unfolding
situation."

In this case more than answers are necessary. What is needed is a solution
that will prevent another senseless death.

Professional training and high-quality planning no doubt would have
prevented tragedy because of a "rapidly unfolding situation."