A Buford man died Friday after a suspicious vehicle report led to a brief law enforcement response and pursuit by authorities in Lumpkin County.
According to the Lumpkin County Sheriff’s Office, on the morning of May 16, deputies were dispatched to the Publix parking lot following a call about a suspicious person. Police say the responding deputy observed a vehicle behaving erratically, and as the deputy approached, the driver allegedly sped away toward the north end of the county.
Lumpkin County deputies intercepted the vehicle and identified the driver as Jacob Karl Wilkerson, 36, of Buford. Authorities were able to take Wilkerson into custody shortly after the pursuit began.
EMS units were called to the scene, and Wilkerson was transported to Northeast Georgia Medical Center. He was later pronounced dead under circumstances that remain unclear, according to police.
The exact cause of death will be determined following an autopsy by the county coroner’s office. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation was notified, but since there was no physical interaction between law enforcement and Wilkerson during the incident, the agency determined an investigation was not necessary.
Officials noted that the incident was recorded on body camera footage and that no foul play is suspected at this time.
