Standoff with Georgia lawmen ends with 52-year-old man fatally shooting self

One man is dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound after a standoff with the Troup County Sheriff’s Office, authorities said..

Troup County Sheriff’s Office deputies were dispatched around 9:30 p.m., March 7, to the 1100 block of Shoemaker Road in regards to a person making threats to shoot himself and possibly harm others in the home.

The sheriff’s office said responding deputies determined several family members were in the house with the suspect, identified as 52-year-old Russell Heiser.

The family members were not able to leave the house out of fear of being harmed by Heiser, according to the release.

Deputies began trying to establish contact with Heiser to get him to come out and allow the others to leave the home. The sheriff’s office said everyone except Heiser safely exited the home and were transported to a nearby house by deputies a short time later.

Heiser exited the home and placed a handgun on a porch railing and continued to talk with deputies around 11:45 p.m. A deputy deployed a taser after Heiser attempted to run for the gun he had laid down shortly after midnight.

Heiser got the gun and pointed it in the direction of the deputies, at which point deputies fired multiple rounds at Heiser as he ran into the house, according to the release.

The sheriff’s office said the deputies then heard a gunshot from inside the house. Deputies entered the house to find Heiser unresponsive from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to the release.

The release said lifesaving measure began on Heiser and he was transported to Well Star West Georgia Medical where he later died.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation was immediately notified and responded to the scene, according to the release.

This story was originally published March 8, 2024 at 2:09 PM.