By Kate Feldman
New York Daily News
HENRY COUNTY, Ga. — A man accused of fatally shooting a Georgia police officer died by suicide Tuesday evening, minutes before a SWAT team stormed into the apartment.
Jordan Jackson, 22, was found dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound in a Riverdale apartment, the Henry County Sheriff’s Office announced Tuesday night.
Jackson, accused of fatally shooting Officer Paramhans Desai during an attempted arrest last week, had barricaded himself inside as a multi-agency SWAT team approached, according to police. By the time they breached the door, Jackson was dead.
Desai, 38, responded to a domestic disturbance call in McDonough Thursday evening and was met by gunfire, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
The suspect, identified as Jackson, fled the scene and Desai was rushed to the hospital in critical condition.
The officer, a married father of two, died late Monday night at the hospital with his family by his side.
“Officer Desai continues to serve, even in his passing, by donating multiple organs which will save numerous lives,” the Henry County Police Department said in a statement. “Please continue to keep Officer Desai’s family in your thoughts and prayers through this terrible tragedy.”
A reward of more than $70,000, much donated by Shaquille O’Neal, was offered for information on Jackson.
Desai’s sister said he had dreamed of being a police officer since he was 8 years old.
“There is always a cost to pay when you pursue a dream, a passion. And my brother was willing to pay that price to become a police officer. He often said he wanted to die as a cop and that’s how his journey ended,” she wrote on GoFundMe.
“Param loved his family, his friends, his people, his community and he served with every fiber of his being. These words fall short to capture the essence of the man that gave so much to so many.”
Desai is survived by his wife, Ankita, and two sons, 11-year-old Om and 8-year-old Namah.
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