Incident: Tuesday, September 1, 2026, in Warm Springs, Georgia. Reported by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and confirmed through Wednesday, September 2, 2026.
Sergeant Chris Fisher of the Warm Springs Police Department was shot and killed while sitting in his patrol car at about 11:57 p.m. Tuesday, near the Meriwether Country Inn on Spring Street in Meriwether County. He had just finished an unrelated traffic stop.
According to the GBI, a black 2026 Chevrolet Silverado pulled up alongside the patrol car and the driver fired multiple shots into it, striking Sergeant Fisher, then drove away. Sergeant Fisher was pronounced dead at the scene.
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The GBI issued a statewide Blue Alert early Wednesday morning for the driver, identified as Jimmie Steverson, 23, of Warm Springs, who was described as armed and dangerous.
Later Wednesday morning, the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office in South Carolina stopped a vehicle on Interstate 85 near Exit 27. Steverson was found with what the GBI described as an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was taken to a hospital, where he died. The Anderson County Coroner’s Office confirmed his death around 12:20 p.m.
Court records show Sergeant Fisher arrested Steverson on August 28, 2026, on felony charges that included obstruction, possession of a firearm during an attempted crime, and marijuana possession. Steverson was released on bond.
Warm Springs City Councilman Michael Bishop said he believes the shooting was connected to that arrest. Several outlets have described the shooting as targeted, or as an ambush.
That characterization is not the GBI’s. The agency has not released a motive, has not said whether the earlier arrest is connected to the shooting, and has not commented on any prior relationship between the two men.
Sergeant Fisher joined the Warm Springs Police Department in May of this year and was promoted in July. He previously worked for the Meriwether County, Fayette County and Heard County sheriff’s offices, and completed the Basic Law Enforcement Training Course in 2019.
Warm Springs City Councilman Michael Bishop said Sergeant Fisher was a husband and a father of two who had only recently moved to the area.
Christopher Kent, who served as Fisher’s field training officer, said that when Fisher came across young people or children, “he always made it a point to say hello and be a great representation of the badge.”
The GBI is investigating. The case will be turned over to the Coweta Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office.
Sergeant Fisher’s age and years of service have not been released. Funeral and procession arrangements have not been announced.
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