A Police Officer from the Byron Police Department in Peach County, Georgia, shot a suspect who was fleeing in a stolen car at a McDonald’s restaurant. The incident occurred on October 23 and has since prompted an investigation by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI).
The Byron Police Department received information from the 911 center about a stolen vehicle, a Silver 2018 Volkswagen Atlas, in the Byron area. The car had been reported stolen from Atlanta. Acting on this tip, officers began searching for the stolen vehicle in the vicinity.
Their search led them to a McDonald’s restaurant on Highway 49 in Byron, where they found the silver Volkswagen. However, at the time, the car was unoccupied.
As an officer approached the stolen car, a man later identified as Kory Matyas Karpich, 37, from Gainesville, emerged from the McDonald’s and got into the vehicle. The officer immediately ordered Karpich to exit the car, but he refused to comply.
The situation escalated as Karpich ignored the officer’s commands, prompting the officer to break a window in an attempt to gain access to the car. Despite the officer’s efforts, Karpich continued to disobey instructions. The officer then deployed his Taser, but it proved ineffective against Karpich.
In the midst of the escalating tension, Karpich took control of the stolen vehicle and started driving. In the process, he collided with both the McDonald’s building and the police officer’s patrol car. Notably, the officer’s car was directly behind the stolen Volkswagen at the time.
In response to Karpich’s actions, the officer resorted to using his firearm, firing multiple shots at the moving vehicle and striking the suspect. Despite his injuries, Karpich managed to drive away from the scene, leading to a pursuit by Byron PD officers.
The pursuit concluded in Bibb County when Karpich crashed the stolen vehicle. Law enforcement officers apprehended him without further incident. Following his arrest, Karpich was taken to a medical center in Macon for treatment. Thankfully, his injuries are expected to be non-life-threatening, and he is expected to recover.
Once the GBI completes its investigation, the case file will be forwarded to the Bibb Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office for review, as is customary in cases of this nature.
