Preliminary Indications Are Police Bullet Killed Man in Standoff

Loganville Police Chief Mike McHugh confirmed that early results from a investigation by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation are that it was a police bullet that killed Members of the and the worked together to end the situation.

After a more than during the overnight hours of April 21, 2012, Ferri was found dead inside his home. Twice during the night Ferri had fired on police surrounding the home and they returned fire. At the time, McHugh said he believed it was likely it was a police bullet that struck Ferri, but a GBI investigation was necessary to find out whether that was the case or whether he had died by a self-inflicted gunshot. The Walton Tribune reported the fatal bullet was one to the head. McHugh said he is not sure whether the investigation would go so far as to find out which specific gun had fired the fatal bullet.

"That would be a question for the GBI, but I don't know that they would take the investigation that far," McHugh said.

The incident began at about 6:30 p.m. April 20 after police were asked to make a welfare check on the home at 1205 Granite Lane in Loganville. Authorities in North Carolina contacted police after Ferri is alleged to have shot a man there  before returning to Loganville. The man in North Carolina survived his injuries and was able to alert authorities that Ferri's wife in Loganville could be in danger. Police were able to get Ferri's wife and children away before Ferri barricaded himself inside the home and the hours-long standoff began. Police were aware that Ferri had several weapons inside the home with him and he fired on police at about 3 and then again at about 3:30 a.m. when they tried to flush him out with tear gas. Police returned fire on both occasions.

McHugh said about an hour after the last exchange of gunfire police no longer heard movement from inside the home. Sometime later police entered the home.

“At that time we found him deceased in the bathroom,” McHugh said.

The GBI took control of the crime scene Saturday morning and began the investigation.