Sheriff: Deputy was pepper sprayed before fatally shooting man

A Bibb County sheriff’s deputy shot and killed a man late Friday afternoon, Macon-Bibb County Coroner Leon Jones said.

The shooting happened about 4 p.m. at 570 Colquitt St. in south Macon.

Bibb County Sheriff David Davis said the deputy had responded to a shoplifting call at the Family Dollar store at 2529 Houston Ave. just before 3:30 p.m..

The deputy, later identified as Greg Ussery, saw a man who fit the description of the shoplifter, and there was a confrontation between the deputy and the suspect. The deputy deployed his Taser and the struggle continued.

“During the struggle, the suspect grabbed the deputy’s pepper spray and sprayed the deputy in the face,” a Bibb County sheriff’s news release said. “With the deputy being sprayed and the struggle continuing, the deputy drew his firearm and fired at the suspect, striking him.”

Jones later identified the man who was shot as 57-year-old Larry Daniel Matthews. He died from the gunshot wound at the scene, the release said.

Ussery, who has a total of 12 years in law enforcement, was a Macon police officer before consolidation and becoming a Bibb County sheriff’s deputy, according to the release.

The GBI is investigating the case.

“We will be finding out exactly what the series of events are as the investigation unfolds,” Davis said.

After the GBI’s investigation, authorities will determine if any law or policy was broken and take any action if needed, Davis said.

About 30 people had gathered a block away from the shooting, including one couple who thought they knew the victim and were waiting on confirmation of his identity. The details behind the shooting were scant at that point.

“He don’t do guns,” one man said in disbelief.

This story was originally published October 7, 2016 at 4:12 PM with the headline "Sheriff: Deputy was pepper sprayed before fatally shooting man."