17-year-old dies after charging at Gwinnett County officers with knife, police say

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — Gwinnett County police shot and killed an armed teenager after they say he charged at them with a knife.

The shooting happened near the intersection of West Broad Street and Whitehead Road in downtown Sugar Hill on Friday. On Saturday, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation identified the teen as 17-year-old Brayden Hemphill.

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Police say just after 4 p.m., they received a phone call from Hemphill, who told police he was armed with a knife and handgun near the roundabout at Whitehead Road.

The teen also reportedly told police he was a danger to himself and others.

Officers responded to the scene, along with the Gwinnett County Behavioral Health Unit. Police say the clinician spoke with the distressed teen over the phone, who told the clinician that he was suicidal and suffering from depression.

When police arrived, they gave the teen commands to drop the knife that he was holding.

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Negotiations with Hemphill continued for several minutes when police say he began charging at two officers in a sprint. As he swung the knife, both officers fired their weapons, hitting the teen at least once.

Medical units were called immediately; however, Hemphill died on scene from his injuries.

The investigation is being handled by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI). Their investigators were notified immediately, per Gwinnett County Police policy.

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