Georgia deputy killed when struck by police car during chase in Alabama, officials say

Coweta County Deputy Sheriff Eric Minix died while pursuing a car theft suspect in Alabama.
Coweta County Deputy Sheriff Eric Minix died while pursuing a car theft suspect in Alabama.(Coweta County Sheriff's Office)
Published: Jan. 4, 2024 at 9:42 AM EST|Updated: Jan. 4, 2024 at 1:16 PM EST
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CHAMBERS COUNTY, Ala. (WTVM/Gray News) - A Georgia law enforcement officer was killed while chasing suspect in Alabama early Thursday morning, officials said.

Coweta County Deputy Sheriff Eric Minix was hit by a police vehicle while trying to apprehend a suspect who was believed to have stolen a vehicle, the department said in a Facebook post.

“We have lost a good deputy. We have lost a good man. We have lost a good friend,” the department posted.

The chase started around 2 a.m. in Georgia. The suspect was pursued south on Interstate 85 and across the Chattahoochee River into Chambers County, Alabama, where the crash happened.

Minix was taken to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead. A deputy and a K-9 officer, he leaves behind a wife and three daughters.

The suspect being pursued is in custody.

According to Lanett police officials, the officer who was driving the vehicle that hit Minix has been put on istrative leave while the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency investigates.