An officer killed in line of duty, suspect dead after 12-hour manhunt
A 12-hour manhunt for the suspect ended when authorities say he took his own life during a traffic stop in South Carolina.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said the shooting happened around 11:57 p.m. on September 1 near Meriwether Country Inn. Investigators say Fisher had just finished conducting a routine, unrelated traffic stop when a suspect he had arrested days prior pulled up and opened fire into his patrol car, killing the officer.
A community in west Georgia is grieving the loss of Warm Springs Police Officer Chris Fisher, who was shot and killed in the line of duty.
According to warrants obtained by Gray Media, Steverson had been arrested by Sgt. Fisher on August 28, 2026, on felony charges including obstruction, possession of a firearm during an attempted crime and marijuana possession. As of now, it is unclear what caused the alleged shooting.
Steverson was found in Anderson, South Carolina, roughly 12 hours after the initial shooting.
The Anderson County Sheriff’s Office initiated a traffic stop on I-85 near Exit 27. Steverson was a passenger in the car. When law enforcement made contact with the vehicle, they discovered Steverson injured from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The Anderson County Coroner’s Office confirmed Steverson’s death around 12:20 p.m.
Anderson County Sheriff Chad McBride said, “We had a couple of deputies on the interstate just watching and looking, so an officer located the vehicle. As they stopped the vehicle, the suspect that was in the vehicle shot himself.”
McBride said two other individuals were riding with Steverson in the vehicle. He said it is unknown whether the other two individuals were involved in the shooting.
“So right now they’re being detained right now so I’m unsure. That’s something the GBI is going to have to look into a little further and see their involvement,” McBride said.
