One man is dead and a sheriff's deputy injured after a shooting in the Eden community of Effingham County.
Effingham County sheriff's deputy James Wilkenson was shot in the shoulder in pursuit of a robbery suspect, said Effingham County Sheriff Jimmy McDuffie. Wilkenson was taken to a local hospital, but is expected to be fine, McDuffie said.
The shooting happened shortly before noon Friday in a wooded area off of Foxbow Drive, which is off of U.S. 80 near the Eden Post Office.
At least four deputies responded to the area to look for Matthew Coleman, who lives in the area. Coleman is a suspect in several Thursday night burglaries and an armed robbery of a nearby Dollar General on Highway 80, McDuffie said.
Deputies were forced to chase Coleman into the woods and gunfire was exchanged. Wilkenson was hit in the shoulder and Coleman was shot and killed.
Coleman, who is in his mid-20s, has had run-ins with law enforcement in the past, McDuffie said.
Investigators with the Effingham County Sheriff's Office and Georgia Bureau of Investigation did not release how many times Coleman was shot or where on his body he was shot at.
Investigators also did not release who fired their weapon first or how many shots were fired.
The GBI is investigating the shooting. An autopsy has been scheduled for next week.
Multiple agencies in addition to the sheriff's office and GBI responded to the scene. The investigation continues.
Come back to savannahnow.com for more details on this developing story.