A multistate search for the man accused of fatally shooting Warm Springs Police Officer Chris Fisher has ended after authorities found the suspect critically injured during a traffic stop in South Carolina.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said Jimmy Lee Steverson, 23, was later pronounced dead at a hospital in Anderson, South Carolina. Investigators said he appeared to have suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Steverson had been sought in connection with the killing of Fisher, a 36-year-old Warm Springs police officer who was shot while sitting inside his patrol vehicle shortly before midnight on Tuesday, September 1.
Officer shot outside Warm Springs hotel
According to a preliminary account released by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Fisher was on duty in the parking lot of the Meriwether Country Inn at 5675 Spring Street in Warm Springs.
The agency said Fisher had just completed an unrelated traffic stop when a black 2026 Chevrolet Silverado pulled alongside his patrol car at approximately 11:57 p.m.
Investigators identified Steverson as the truck’s driver. The GBI alleged that he fired multiple rounds into Fisher’s patrol vehicle before leaving the parking lot.
Fisher was struck by the gunfire and pronounced dead at the scene. His body was transported to the GBI Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy.
Authorities initially issued a Blue Alert and warned that Steverson should be considered armed and dangerous. The search involved local, state and federal agencies across Georgia and South Carolina.
Some local officials suggested the shooting may have been a targeted act connected to an earlier encounter between Fisher and Steverson. However, the GBI has not publicly announced a confirmed motive, and that aspect of the case remains under investigation.
Suspect located during South Carolina traffic stop
The search took a major turn at approximately 11:39 a.m. on Wednesday when Anderson County sheriff’s deputies stopped a vehicle in South Carolina.
Steverson was reportedly travelling as a passenger in the vehicle. When officers approached, they found him suffering from what the GBI described as an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
He was transported to a local hospital but was later pronounced dead. Officials have not released further details about the circumstances surrounding the injury or identified the other occupants of the vehicle.
The Warm Springs Police Department, Georgia State Patrol, US Marshals Service, Homeland Security Investigations and several county sheriff’s offices assisted with the case.
Fisher’s killing prompted tributes from public officials and members of the law-enforcement community. Georgia Governor Brian Kemp offered condolences to the officer’s family and colleagues while acknowledging the dangers police officers face in the line of duty.
The incident follows other violent cases that have prompted extensive law-enforcement investigations, including the recent deaths of a Minnesota nurse and her two sons.
The GBI said its investigation into Fisher’s death remains active. Anyone with relevant information can contact the agency’s Midland Regional Investigative Office at 706-565-7888 or submit an anonymous tip by calling 1-800-597-TIPS (8477).
This is a developing story. Details may be updated as authorities release additional verified information.
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