A man is in critical condition after a Gainesville, Georgia, police officer returned fire and shot him multiple times on Thursday, November 12, behind a shopping center, after officers responded to a reported domestic disturbance, according to the Gainesville Police Department. Police say the man fired at an officer first; that account is the department's, and the shooting is now under investigation by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI).

Source: AccessNorthGA

The shooting happened at the New Holland Marketplace shopping center in Gainesville, the seat of Hall County in northeast Georgia. Gainesville Police Captain Kevin Holbrook said officers responded to a 911 call reporting a domestic disturbance at the center.

Source: Now Georgia

What police say happened behind the shopping center

According to Captain Holbrook, officers located an adult man and a woman involved in what appeared to be a physical altercation near the rear of the shopping center. Shortly after arriving, police say, an officer came under gunfire and returned fire, striking the man numerous times.

Police have not released the man's identity, the officer's name, or any detail about what led to the reported altercation before officers arrived. Authorities have also not said what kind of weapon was recovered, how many shots were fired in total, or whether the woman was injured. Those details remain unreleased as the investigation continues.

Both the man and the officer were taken to hospital

The man was transported to Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville, where he remains in critical condition, both outlets reported. The officer was also taken to hospital — for observation, according to AccessNorthGA, and for medical evaluation and observation, according to Now Georgia. Police have not released details about the officer's condition or whether the officer was struck by gunfire.

Officers remained at the scene investigating after the shooting, and shoppers and businesses at the center faced an active police scene behind the stores while that work continued. Police said more information will be released as it becomes available.

The GBI investigation — how Georgia handles officer-involved shootings

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has been called in to lead the investigation, Now Georgia reported; AccessNorthGA reported the GBI is expected to take over the investigation. In Georgia, the GBI routinely investigates officer-involved shootings at the request of the local agency, so that the department whose officer fired is not investigating its own shooting.

Under that standard process, GBI agents collect evidence and interview witnesses independently, and the completed investigative file is then given to the district attorney for the judicial circuit covering the county — for Hall County, the Northeastern Judicial Circuit — to decide whether the shooting was justified or whether any charges are warranted. That review normally follows the GBI file, not the first-day police account.

What is not yet known

As of Thursday evening, authorities had not released: the identity of the man who was shot; the identity of the officer; whether the officer or the woman was injured; any charges the man may face if he recovers; and the circumstances of the reported domestic disturbance that brought officers to the rear of the shopping center. Police have said additional information will be released as the investigation allows.

What happens next

The next steps rest with the GBI: its agents will document the scene behind the New Holland Marketplace, review any available video and interview the officers and witnesses involved. The man's medical condition at Northeast Georgia Medical Center, and any identification released by police or the GBI, will be the first updates to watch for. Awaaz Punjab will update this story if the GBI or Gainesville police release the man's identity or new findings.