Police: Suspect in Americus officers' shooting is dead

AMERICUS — UPDATE: The second officer injured in Wednesday's shooting has died.

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Authorities said the man accused of killing an Americus police officer and injuring another officer near the campus of Georgia Southwestern State University is dead.

Channel 2’s Richard Elliot was on scene Thursday morning with officers as they moved into the house where Minquell Lembrick was barricaded in Americus.

Americus Police Chief Mark Scott said Lembrick was found dead inside from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

The shooting happened Wednesday morning in Americus at an apartment complex.

Investigators said Officer Nicholas Smarr of the Americus Police Department and Georgia Southwestern Police Officer Jody Smith were responding to a domestic disturbance call when they said Minquell Lembrick shot the men.

Smarr died shortly afterwards. Smith was airlifted to a Macon hospital. He is still listed in critical condition.

“It's a tragedy beyond words. It's one of our family members has been taken from us,” Americus Police Chief Mark Scott told Elliot.

Elliot said Scott had a hard time containing his emotions as he talked about the crime and the search for Lembrick.

It was a tip caller that led authorities to the home where Lembrick was found. The tipster would be eligible for the $70,000 reward, authorities said.

Lembrick was already wanted on kidnapping charges, but officers didn't know he would be at the domestic disturbance call.

Cox Media Group