Man suspected of killing Atlanta woman dies after standoff in Henry County, police say

HENRY COUNTY, Georgia. – A tense standoff in Henry County ended Tuesday after a murder suspect named Derek Rankins was found dead.

The incident occurred on Linden Lane, near Swan Lake Road and Gardner Road, after officers from the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force attempted to arrest Rankins, who was wanted for the Aug. 20 murder of 32-year-old Courtney Reece in Atlanta.

According to Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum, Rankins was tracked to a residence in Henry County. When officers arrived to arrest him, Rankins opened fire, striking an officer assigned to the task force. The injured officer, an 18-year veteran of the Atlanta Police Department's Fugitive Criminal Unit, was flown to Grady Memorial Hospital by Henry County Sheriff's Office helicopter. Fortunately, the officer is expected to make a full recovery.

According to police, Rankins was later found dead in the house. However, Police Chief Schierbaum did not confirm whether Rankins died by his own hand or was shot by someone else. He stated that the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) will thoroughly investigate the incident to determine the exact circumstances of his death.

The relationship between Rankins and Reese is unknown.

The GBI is expected to release further details as the investigation progresses.

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There were two fatal shootings involving police officers in the Atlanta area.

Paulding County Sheriff's Office Deputy Brandon Cunningham was shot while responding to a domestic violence incident.

Carroll County Sheriff's Office Deputy Taylor Bristow also died after being shot while helping the GBI execute a search warrant on a person suspected of “sexual exploitation of children.”

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