The GBI identifies the gunman who was shot and killed Monday by Gainesville Police at a dermatology clinic as 62-year-old Rodney Hamilton of Dahlonega. Hamilton was a patient at Lanier Dermatology where the shooting took place, according to investigators.
A press release from the GBI says officers responded to the clinic at 605 South Enota Drive in Gainesville after receiving a 911 call indicating a man was there “waving a gun.”
“At approximately 11:03 a.m., Gainesville Police Officers arrived at the doctor’s office. The officers made their way into the doctor’s office while clearing staff from the building. When officers encountered the man, he had hostages in an office at gunpoint,” the release states.
Officers gave verbal commands to the man, who was later identified as Hamilton, but investigators say he ignored those commands. “Hamilton was shot by an officer during the encounter and was transported to Northeast Georgia Medical Center, where he was pronounced deceased,” the GBI says.
No one inside the office was injured. The GBI was called in to investigate, which is standard procedure any time there’s an officer-involved shooting.
Hamilton’s vehicle was inspected and cleared by the GBI Special Operations Unit out of an abundance of caution.
The State Medical Examiner’s Office was scheduled to perform an autopsy on Hamilton Tuesday.
Once the results of the autopsy and investigation are complete, the case will be turned over tot he Northeast Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s office for review.
