The following information was issued last week by Special Agent Kim Baker of the Sylvester Branch of the GBI:
The GBI was requested by Sylvester Police Department to conduct a shooting investigation. During the early morning hours of Sunday, November 9th, local law enforcement officers observed a vehicle being driven erratically near Flash Foods on Highway 82 in Sylvester. For public safety, an officer conducted a traffic stop on the truck at the intersection of Highway 82 and Westberry Street. During the course of the traffic stop, officers determined that the driver had a gunshot wound to the head. The driver was taken by ambulance to Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital where he later died.
The driver was identified as Jose Manuel Huerta, 26, of Tifton, GA. During the course of the investigation, agents determined that Huerta was wanted for questioning regarding a shooting that occurred in Tift County earlier that evening.
Based on evidence obtained during the initial investigation, it appears the gunshot wound was self-inflicted; however, a final determination will not be made until the investigation is completed which will include an autopsy.