Savannah police sergeant killed after gunman fired at him while he investigated a robbery at a barber shop
A police sergeant who reportedly spent more than 20 years in the US Army was mourned on Monday, May 13, after he was shot to death over the weekend in Georgia while he responded to a robbery call. 50-year-old Sgt. Kelvin Ansari was gunned down on Saturday, May 11, by a gunman who died later when he was shot down by responding officers after he allegedly pointed a gun at them.
Fox News reported that officers paid tribute to him by forming a procession and lining the streets in the city as Ansari's body was transported from a local hospital up until the Georgia Bureau of Investigation crime lab after they were tasked with looking into the death.
Savannah Police Chief Roy Minter said in a statement: "We lost a man who spent a substantial portion of his life protecting the country and protecting the community. We lost a husband, we lost a father, and we lost a leader."
The department said that Ansari, who had served 21 years in the US Army before he joined the Savannah Police Department, was going to celebrate his 11th anniversary of working in the department this September. In his expansive career, Ansari served as a patrolman and investigator before he advanced to the rank of sergeant. He leaves behind a wife and four children.
The GBI has said in a statement that Ansari had been called on Saturday to investigate an alleged robbery outside a barber shop. The gunman, who has since been identified as 49-year-old Edward Fuller III, was accused of taking money and other items from an individual after he struck them with a weapon.
"When officers arrived on the scene, they began their investigation into the robbery, but Fuller was thought to have left the area. As the officers were continuing that investigation, Fuller was in a vehicle nearby, unknown to the officers," the GBI said.
Investigators have said that when Ansari walked close to the vehicle, Fuller jumped out and "immediately" started firing his weapon, hitting Ansari and his colleague. Responding officers were able to track down Fuller to a shed behind a home in the area. He was hit by an officer's weapon after he emerged from the shed and pointed the gun at them.
The agency added: "Ansari and Fuller both succumbed to their injuries and were pronounced dead following lifesaving measures." Ansari's colleague was treated for his wounds and released. Mayor Eddie DeLoach said: "Our community owes these men and all those who wear the badge a debt of gratitude."