Booking photo courtesy of the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office
STAFF REPORT :::
The Spalding County Sheriff’s Office on Thursday evening responded to a domestic call with shots fired and a possible barricaded gunman at 512 Terry Drive. An hours-long standoff ensued.
According to a press release issued by Sheriff Darrell Dix, the report was made by a woman who alleged her boyfriend, 50-year-old Stephen Kirby, became intoxicated and violent. She said that when she attempted to leave the residence, he brandished a 9 mm firearm and fired a shot.
She also reported that other weapons were present in the residence and that Kirby had “extensive tactical training.”
“The initial responding deputies attempted to make contact with Kirby but were unsuccessful. We notified our SWAT team, they responded, and the mobile command post was brought to the scene. Criminal Investigators responded and obtained a search warrant for the house,” Dix said. “After more than 2 hours of attempting to make contact with Kirby through PA, phone calls, text messages, and social media, there was no response. At 10:00pm I gave the order for our SWAT team to begin methodically deploying gas rounds into the residence to force Kirby out. At 10:16 p.m. Kirby exited the residence and surrendered to our SWAT team without incident. He was transported to Spalding Regional for examination then to the Spalding County Jail where he is currently being held on charges of aggravated assault and is awaiting a bond hearing.”
Dix said the victim has been offered assistance.
“We spoke to the victim last night and she is shaken but is doing ok. We offered her assistance through our Victim/Witness Program if needed. Our initial responding deputies, Criminal Investigators, and SWAT team, did an outstanding job in controlling, containing, and resolving the situation. This incident had the potential to end tragically but there were a lot of people that were praying for a peaceful outcome and those prayers were answered.”
