ROSWELL, Ga. — A police officer’s life was spared thanks to a bulletproof vest during a tense incident in an Atlanta suburb, leading to a deadly confrontation with a man who was attempting to flee from authorities, as stated by the local police chief.

During a SWAT operation in Roswell intended to execute arrest and search warrants, a suspect bolted from the rear of a residence and came face-to-face with an officer. According to Police Chief James Conroy, the suspect opened fire, hitting the officer twice in the chest. The officer quickly returned fire, resulting in the suspect’s death.

Chief Conroy reported that while the officer suffered some injuries due to shrapnel, the bulletproof vest significantly reduced the severity of his wounds, indicating that it likely saved the officer’s life. “It appears the vest has saved his life, but he did suffer injuries from the incident,” Conroy noted.

The investigation into the officer-involved shooting is now in the hands of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, which is standard practice in similar cases across the state.

The police were responding to a situation involving a man who had allegedly discharged a firearm into the air on New Year’s Eve after being asked to leave a social gathering. Conroy mentioned that a background check revealed the individual had a history of violent crime.

This led to a decision to employ the SWAT team, which is operated collaboratively by several municipalities in northern Fulton County, to execute the warrants for multiple charges, including reckless conduct, firing a weapon on private property, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Although the chief stopped short of confirming whether the deceased suspect was the individual targeted for arrest, he did mention that the four other adults found in the residence were cooperating with the investigation.

Conroy also refrained from revealing the identity of the injured officer or disclosing his affiliation with any specific police department.