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Police shoot known gang member while serving warrant, authorities say

FLOYD COUNTY, Ga. — The Georgia Bureau of Investigation says agents are investigating a police shooting in Floyd County.

[INTERACTIVE MAP: Shootings involving Georgia law enforcement for 2019]

The Floyd County Police Department said the Metro Drug Taskforce and SWAT team were serving a warrant at 1933 Kingston Highway when investigators said Michael Spears opened fire on them around 6:30 a.m.

Investigators said Spears shot at them as SWAT officers broke through the front door.

"The suspect fired first and our officers returned fire,"  said Sgt. Chris Fincher, with the Floyd County Police Department.

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Channel 2's Steve Gehlbach learned Spears is a known gang member, according to police.

"Commonly, our drug task force and SWAT team will work together to serve warrants, especially of this nature, being a search warrant," Fincher said.

Gehlbach talked to a neighbor across the highway who was woken up by voices over the police loudspeaker.

“I heard this sound, ‘Come out with your hands up,’ and I jumped up out of the bed and (came to) sit on the porch and (saw) all the police cars and SWAT teams in the yard over there,” the neighbor said.

Spears was taken to a nearby hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has been called in to take over the case.

This is the 34th shooting involving law enforcement in Georgia for the year.