South Carolina man killed after standoff with SWAT at Georgia hotel, cops say

A South Carolina man was killed Wednesday night after an hours-long standoff with Georgia police at a Super 8 motel in Augusta, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

The GBI is currently investigating the officer-involved shooting, which took place at 3026 Washington Rd. in Augusta, a bureau release said.

The standoff began when deputies with the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office went to visit Goldie Bellinger, 39, of Williston, SC for a welfare check at around 8:30 p.m.

But when officers arrived, Bellinger refused to speak with them, barricaded himself in his hotel room and pointed a gun at them, according to the release.

A SWAT team was called to the scene, and tried to negotiate with Bellinger.

However, during a negotiation attempt Bellinger opened fire on SWAT officers, and three of them shot back, hitting the 39-year-old, according to the GBI statement.

The team took Bellinger out of the room and emergency medical personnel at the scene tried to save his life.

He was pronounced dead at 12:25 a.m. Thursday, Richmond County Sheriff’s Office told WRDW.

His body was taken to the GBI crime lab in Decatur and is awaiting autopsy, the bureau’s statement said.

No officers were injured, but three deputies have been put on unpaid leave while the sheriff’s office conducts its own internal investigation, WRDW reported.

This incident marks the 30th officer involved shooting the GBI has been called to investigate this year, according to GBI public affairs director Nelly Miles.

This story was originally published April 16, 2020 at 5:43 PM with the headline "South Carolina man killed after standoff with SWAT at Georgia hotel, cops say."