A Grovetown shooting today is under investigation after a 33-year-old man was fatally shot by a Grovetown police investigator during an encounter near the intersection of Katherine Street and Robinson Avenue.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation confirmed on September 1 that its agents are conducting an independent investigation into the officer-involved shooting at the request of the Grovetown Police Department.
The man who was killed has been identified as Alexes Thorpe, 33, of Grovetown, Georgia. No police officers were injured during the incident.
According to preliminary information released by the GBI, the shooting happened at approximately 1:38 p.m. on August 31, 2026. A Grovetown police investigator was stopped at the intersection of Katherine Street and Robinson Avenue in an unmarked police SUV when Thorpe approached the driver’s window.
Authorities said Thorpe began hitting the window and yelling at the investigator. The investigator opened the door and gave Thorpe verbal commands to step away from the vehicle.
It was then, according to investigators, that the officer noticed Thorpe was armed with a knife.
The investigator reportedly drew a firearm and ordered Thorpe to drop the knife. Authorities said Thorpe refused and then lunged toward the investigator through the doorway of the SUV.
The investigator fired, striking Thorpe twice.
Additional officers arrived shortly after the shooting and began providing lifesaving assistance. Emergency medical personnel subsequently arrived and continued efforts to provide medical treatment, but Thorpe was pronounced dead at the scene.
The shooting occurred close to the Grovetown Police Department and Fire Station No. 1 on East Robinson Avenue. The city’s public safety facilities are located at 306 East Robinson Avenue, placing the incident near a central area of the community.
News of the shooting quickly prompted concern among residents as law enforcement officers secured the area and investigators began examining what happened. Initial reports described an active police response near the city’s municipal area, while authorities worked to establish the circumstances surrounding the confrontation.
The GBI has now taken responsibility for the independent investigation. This includes examining the actions of the officer involved, reviewing evidence from the scene and determining the circumstances that led to the use of deadly force.
The agency confirmed that Thorpe’s body will be transported to the GBI Medical Examiner’s Office, where an autopsy will be conducted as part of the investigation.
Authorities have not reported any injuries to the police investigator or other officers involved in the response.
The investigation remains active and ongoing. Once the GBI completes its work, the case file will be submitted to the Columbia Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office for review.
Anyone who may have information relevant to the investigation is being encouraged to contact the GBI’s Regional Investigative Office in Thomson. Anonymous information can also be provided through the agency’s tip system.
The Grovetown shooting today has left Alexes Thorpe dead and placed an officer-involved use of deadly force under independent investigation. As investigators continue reviewing the encounter, additional details about the circumstances leading up to the shooting may become available.