Last Friday's officer-involved fatal force death added to Washington Post database

In recent years, The Washington Post has taken the lead in terms of documenting deaths involving law enforcement with its Pulitzer Prize-winning database.

The Sept. 2 death of 77-year-old Milledgeville man Tommie Gilmore has been added to the database. Gilmore's death marked the 34th person to be killed by law enforcement in 2022 in the state of Georgia, as well as the seventh in middle Georgia. All 34 were male, while Gilmore was the oldest.

Dating back to January 2015, a total of 291 people in the Peach State have been killed by law enforcement, according to the database. Out of the 291, a total of 103 were listed as white, 103 black, 14 hispanic, three other and 68 "unknown." In terms of gender, 273 were male, 17 female and one "unknown." Out of the 17 females, 11 were identified as white, four black and two unknown.

Gilmore's death marked the first time in roughly 25 years that a Milledgeville-Baldwin County law enforcement officer shot and killed a member of the public.

Sheriff Bill Massee said that the deputy's body cam was functioning and called the camera footage "clear."

"I looked at it, and I feel as if the deputy took the appropriate action. (Gilmore) was coming at him with a shotgun, and he pointed the shotgun (at the deputy)," the sheriff said. "I feel very confident that the deputy took the appropriate action."

Massee added that several 911 calls were placed last night after Gilmore "pointed the shotgun at children and other people at the residence."

According to a press release: "a Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office deputy responded to a domestic dispute on Union Hill Church Road after multiple 911 calls from the home. When the deputy entered the home, he and other occupants were approached by a man, identified as Tommie Gilmore, age 77, with a shotgun. The deputy gave Gilmore commands to drop the gun, but he pointed the shotgun at the deputy. The deputy shot Gilmore. He was taken to Atrium Health Navicent Hospital in Milledgeville, where he died. Gilmore lived at the home. The GBI Medical Examiner’s Office will conduct an autopsy on Gilmore."