Tafahree Maynard, Accused of Killing Cop, Is Shot Dead in Georgia: Police

An 18-year-old man suspected of killing a Georgia police officer was shot and killed by police on Oct. 22.

Tafahree Maynard was shot by police after they encountered him holding a lawnmower blade in a shed about two days after the 30-year-old officer, Antwan Toney, was murdered Fox News reported.

Officials located Maynard after officers investigated a tip that he was seen in the Snellville area within the past 12 hours. They were led to a shed.

“The officers opened up the door and immediately saw someone inside,” Police Chief Butch Ayers told WSB-TV. “Mr. Maynard was issued verbal commands. He failed to comply with those commands.”

Officers approached him and he “failed to comply” with verbal commands, said the chief.

Police hit him with a Taser and found him holding a lawnmower blade behind his back. A second officer fired his gun.

According to Fox, Maynard was pronounced dead at the scene.

He was accused of gunning down Toney, a Gwinnett County police officer, who was responding to a suspicious vehicle parked near Shiloh Middle School on Oct. 20.

“Other responding officers returned fire and pulled Ofc. Toney to cover,” police said on Oct. 20. “The suspect vehicle fled the scene; it is unknown if anyone in the vehicle was struck by return fire.”

A massive manhunt was initiated for Maynard after Toney was shot and killed.

“He was a shining, bright star in the Gwinnett County Police Department,” Ayers said of Toney, who had spent nearly three years on the police force.

“Antwan knew he wanted to be a police officer since he was a child. He had cop figurines, police cars. He used to roll around the house all the time,” Toney’s sister Carla Johnson was quoted by Fox as saying.

“He risked his life, taking this job and becoming a Gwinnett police officer, and I think it’s just so amazing. He was just a hero, a hero,” Christiana Woodruff, a local woman, said of the shooting, according to WSB.