Columbus police assisted authorities in manhunt for Americus gunman

A day after two Americus, Ga., police officers were fatally shot, the shooting suspect was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound Thursday inside a house on Allen Street, authorities said.

Americus Police Chief Mark Scott said 32-year-old Minguell Kennedy Lembrick was positively identified after a SWAT team entered the house in the 2300 block around 10:02 a.m. He was wanted in the Wednesday shooting death of Americus Police Officer Nicholas Smarr, 25, after he responded to a domestic disturbance on South Lee Street. Jody Smith, a member of the Georgia Southwestern State University Police Department, also was shot at the scene and died Thursday.

In a release from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, interim college President Charles Patterson announced the death of Smith.

“We have just received word that GSW Public Safety Officer Jody Smith has succumbed to his injuries and has passed away,” he said. “We offer our deepest condolences to his family during this very difficult time. Officer Smith was a bright, young and energetic officer, and he will be sorely missed.”

Scott said a tip led to the location of Lembrick. Officers immediately sealed off the house before they heard what sounded like a gunshot. A hostage negotiator was called to make contact inside the house.

“At the time, we did not know what had transpired inside the house,” the chief said. “They tried for a fairly lengthy amount of time to see if anyone responded inside the house. The SWAT team used a robot to open the door and gain entry to see what was going on inside the house. The SWAT team made entry and found one suspect inside who was deceased in what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound.”

Scott said the GBI will continue their investigation into the shootings of the two officers.

Assistant Police Chief Lem Miller of the Columbus Police Department said the FBI sought use of special equipment used by the department. The department initially sent four people to Americus but two stayed overnight with the Bearcat, an armored personnel carrier.

The equipment was used by authorities because it was not available by other agencies. “Any time we can offer our assistance, we will,” he said. “Who knows tomorrow, we may be needing somebody else’s assistance and they will provide that for us.”

Miller said the equipment was used to help officers enter the house.

“It is an armored personnel carrier made specifically for law enforcement agencies,” he said. “We have one and they requested it because nobody in that immediate area had one.”

Smith and Smarr were friends and have known each other since high school. They went to the police academy and graduated together.

Scott said the two officers had worked together but their jobs separated them before they both ended up in Americus.

“Career paths took them in different directions but brought them back to Americus,” he said. “ They were very close to each other.”

The chief described both officers as heroes.

“I can’t say enough about them,” he said. “They are model officers. They are both heroes in my opinion. They were there together. They were there together even after the shooting, throughout the whole ordeal. My hearts goes out to their families.”

Smith worked as a deputy sheriff with the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office before coming to Americus. He also served as a part-time officer with the Plains Police Department.

Patterson said Smith joined the Georgia Southwestern State University Public Safety Department because it offered him an opportunity to pursue a college degree and work in law enforcement.

This story was originally published December 8, 2016 at 6:59 PM with the headline "Columbus police assisted authorities in manhunt for Americus gunman."