A Cobb County grand jury recommended that further action be taken on the shooting death of Johnny Bolton, 49, of Austell by a Cobb Sheriff’s Office SWAT team member during the execution of a narcotics search warrant last December.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation investigated the shooting, and when they turned over their results to the Cobb DA’s Office, it was sent to a grand jury to determine if further action was needed.

The Office of Cobb District Attorney Flynn Broady issued the following statement last night:

It is the District Attorney’s Office’s standard procedure to send all officer involved shooting incidents to a grand jury. If the grand jury recommends further action, there will be further investigation to determine what charges, if any, should be sent to a future grand jury.

As it pertains to the officer involved shooting of Johnny Bolton, the District Attorney’s Office presented it to a grand jury which recommended further action on September 9, 2021.

The incident is still an open and active investigation. For clarification, the District Attorney’s Office has not made a determination of what charges, if any, will be presented to a grand jury at this time.

GBI statement in the day the incident took place

The following is the statement issued by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation on December 17, 2020, the day of the incident:

Preliminary information indicates that on Thursday, December 17, 2020, at approximately 4:41 a.m., Marietta Cobb Smyrna (MCS) Organized Crime Task Force agents and Cobb County Sheriff’s Office SWAT team deputies, executed a narcotics search warrant at 505 Springbrook Trail SE, Smyrna, GA. During entry into the residence, a SWAT team member discharged his firearm and an occupant of the apartment was struck. The subject was transported to Wellstar Cobb Hospital where he was pronounced dead. The identification of the subject is pending next of kin notification.

No officers were injured during the incident.

An autopsy will be performed by the Cobb County Medical Examiner’s Office.

The GBI will continue its independent investigation of the officer involved shooting. Upon completion, it will be submitted to the Cobb County District Attorney’s Office for review.