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Officer, suspect dead after traffic stop in Georgia

CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. — A police officer and a suspect died early Thursday during a traffic stop in Cherokee County, Georgia, according to WSB-TV.

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The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said in a social media post early Thursday that authorities were “investigating an officer-involved shooting at the request of the Holly Springs Police Department.”

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Officials told WSB that a Holly Springs police officer died after being dragged by the car of a man identified as Ansy Dolce, 29, of Cherokee County. Authorities said Dolce had been pulled over for speeding.

Dolce was shot and killed by an officer after the incident, WSB reported.

Citing an unidentified GBI source, WSB identified the officer slain as Joe Burson, 25. He was sworn into the department in March 2020, the news station reported.

Investigators told WSB that Burson was a rookie in the department who was in his first job as a police officer. Fellow officers told the news station that Burson would let kids sit in his car and turn the blue lights on, and that he loved community service.

A portion of Hickory Road was closed during the investigation, the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office said Thursday morning in a tweet. Officials asked that drivers avoid the area.