ANDERSON, SC — A man accused of killing a Georgia police officer was found in a vehicle in South Carolina with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound after deputies made a traffic stop, authorities said. The suspect, 23-year-old Jimmy Lee Steverson, was taken to a hospital and later died.
The search began after the fatal shooting of 36-year-old Warm Springs Police Officer Chris Fisher, who served with the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office. Investigators said Fisher was shot shortly before midnight on Sept. 1 while sitting in his patrol vehicle at the Meriwether County Inn in Meriwether County, Georgia.
Georgia authorities later linked Steverson to the shooting and issued a statewide Blue Alert. The case then moved across state lines, where Anderson County deputies in South Carolina were told to watch for a vehicle connected to the suspect.
Georgia investigators say Fisher was shot while seated in his patrol car
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said Fisher was inside his patrol car when a black 2026 Chevrolet Silverado pulled alongside him and multiple rounds were fired into the vehicle. Fisher was struck in the attack and died from his injuries.
Authorities identified Steverson as the driver of the Silverado. The shooting happened at the Meriwether County Inn, where the officer was sitting in the marked vehicle before the gunfire erupted.
Fisher’s death triggered a broad search by law enforcement agencies in Georgia. The Blue Alert was issued as officers worked to locate Steverson and anyone else who might have been involved.
Warrants show Fisher arrested Steverson just days earlier
Atlanta News First reported that warrants show Fisher had arrested Steverson on Aug. 28, only four days before the officer was killed. The warrants listed felony charges that included obstruction, possession of a firearm during an attempted crime, and marijuana possession.
That earlier arrest added another layer to an already serious investigation, though officials have not publicly laid out a motive for the shooting. The GBI has continued to handle the homicide inquiry as local and state agencies tracked Steverson after the killing.
Fisher had been serving in Warm Springs and was also part of the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office. After his death, the department posted a memorial on Facebook honoring his life and the role he played in the community.
Anderson County deputies followed a BOLO to Interstate 85
Anderson County Sheriff Chad McBride told FOX Carolina that deputies received a BOLO for Steverson around noon on Sept. 2. Deputies then began watching Interstate 85 for the suspect vehicle.
McBride said deputies eventually spotted a vehicle that matched the information sent by Georgia authorities. The stop came near Exit 27, where deputies moved in and found Steverson in the backseat.
The sheriff described the Georgia alert as involving a suspect who had “apparently executed an officer” and credited deputies for locating the vehicle through what he called “good ole police work.” The traffic stop ended the interstate search that had stretched from Georgia into South Carolina.
Deputies found Steverson wounded and another person in the car
When deputies reached the vehicle, Steverson had suffered what authorities described as an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was taken to a hospital, and the coroner’s office later confirmed he had died.
FOX Carolina reported that the driver of the vehicle was detained by authorities. Atlanta News First said Steverson was not the only other person in the car, although it remained unclear whether that other occupant could face charges.
Officials have not detailed how Steverson traveled from Georgia into South Carolina or what role, if any, the other person may have played. Those unanswered questions remain part of the wider investigation into the shooting and the pursuit that followed.
Officials across Georgia and South Carolina react to Fisher's death
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said he was deeply saddened by Fisher’s death and called it a reminder of the risks law enforcement officers face while serving their communities. His comments came as agencies in both states continued to piece together the events that followed the shooting.
McBride also extended condolences to Fisher’s family, friends, fellow officers, and the Warm Springs Police Department after the search ended. The Fayette County Sheriff’s Office memorial on Facebook reflected the department’s grief and the loss felt in the community Fisher served.
The case remains focused on the shooting of a uniformed officer, the manhunt that followed, and the South Carolina stop that ended with Steverson’s death. Officials have not said whether any additional charges will be filed against the detained driver or the other occupant in the vehicle.
