$70,000 reward now offered for suspect Minquell Lembrick in fatal police officer shooting

UPDATE — Authorities say the man accused of killing an Americus police officer and injuring another officer near the campus of Georgia Southweste State University is dead.

AMERICUS, Ga. - Officials in southwest Georgia are offering a $70,000 reward for information that could lead to the arrest of a man accused of killing an Americus police officer and wounding a university officer on Wednesday. 

Thursday moing, authorities held a news conference and pleaded for the public's help in finding 32-year-old Minquell Lembrick. At the news briefing, police said the reward for his arrest has been increased to $70,000.

Police said Lembrick shot Americus police Officer Nicholas Smarr, 25, and Georgia Southweste State University Officer Jodi Smith as they were responding to a report of a domestic dispute at the Country Club Estates Apartments on South Lee Street near the campus around 9:40 a.m. Wednesday.

Officer Smarr was killed and Officer Smith was taken to a hospital where he underwent successful surgery. Police said Thursday moing he was in critical, but stable, condition.

Both men had been officers since 2012.

"If someone knows where this man is hiding, they need to tell us, so we can get him off the street," police said Thursday moing. 

Police said a number of law enforcement agencies worked through the night and are still searching for the suspect. They received a number of tips, but said an arrest has not yet been made. 

Wednesday night, Georgia Bureau of Investigation Director Veon Kennan made a direct appeal to Lembrick to call 911 and arrange to tu himself into authorities, citing "enough violence has occurred today."

Investigators describe Lembrick as being 6 feet, 1 inch tall and weighing 170 pounds. Police consider him armed and extremely dangerous. Police ask anyone who sees him to call 911 immediately.

During a press conference Wednesday afteoon, Americus Police Chief Mark Scott said it was not uncommon for Georgia Southweste State University officers to respond to incidents near the campus. Scott said the two departments have a very close relationship to help keep the students safe. He said both departments are grieving for the loss in their tight-knit law enforcement community.

”It's a tremendous loss to our family. It's been many, many years since we've had an officer fall in the line of duty here in Americus, said Chief Scott. ”It's a tragedy beyond words. It's one of our family members has been taken from us. Georgia Southweste State University placed the campus on lockdown after the shootings.

n an emergency alert published on the university’s website, the university stated:

”A shooting has taken place off campus near the south side of the Griffin Bell Golf Course. Students, faculty and staff should remain in their present location until further notice. Please secure all doors and windows (any additional actions such as shut down HVAC, tu off lights, move to unobservable part of the room, get on the floor, away from doors) and await further instructions or contact by first responders.

The campus remained on a heightened alert throughout the evening due to the active search. The lockdown was lifted just before 10 p.m. when officers reported they had completed a building-by-building sweep of the campus.

GBI spokeswoman Nelly Miles said a Facebook page, which has now been taken down, had messages including ”not going to jail posted on it. The posts appeared shortly after the shooting and read: other life gone not going to jail." Also posted to Lembrick’s account was a brief Facebook Live video showing a young man partly concealed by shadows saying, ”I’m gonna miss y’all folk, man. The final message on Lembrick's page read: ”Love yall.

Police have been actively searching for Lembrick as the city remains on the edge. Before Wednesday’s press conference at Americus police headquarters, officers could be seen scrambling away, responding to a call. Police later said it was an unrelated ”shots fired call. Later, during a live shot during FOX 5 News at 6 in front of Lembrick’s home, officers in tactical gear could be seen approaching the home with rifles drawn. Police later said they were performing a standard tactical sweep of the home to make sure Lembrick was not inside hiding.

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Lembrick can anonymously call Crime Stoppers at 229.924.4102 and still be eligible for the reward.

Nicholas Smarr, 25, with the Americus Police Department, died when was shot while responding to a domestic incident at an area apartment complex. (SOURCE: GBI)

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