TOCCOA, Ga - A northeast Georgia pastor has died after being shot by agents from a multi-county drug task force.
GBI spokesman John Bankhead said 28-year-old Jonathan Paul Ayers, pastor of Shoal Creek Baptist Church in Lavonia, was not the target of the sting operation but a woman in his car was under investigation.
The shooting occurred after Ayers dropped the woman off at a store in downtown Toccoa Tuesday afternoon.
Bankhead said agents approached Ayers for questioning but the pastor tried to avoid them, putting his car in reverse before he struck one of the agents.
Bankhead said an agent shot at the car and Ayers suffered a gunshot wound to the torso. The cause of his death was pending the results of an autopsy.
The woman was charged with cocaine possession and distribution.
Ayers’ brother-in-law Matt Carpenter talked with News Channel 7's coverage partners at the "Independent Mail' and said the pastor had nothing to do with drugs.
“Any question of his character, particularly involving something like drugs, is just ridiculous,” he said. Ayers' wife is 4 months pregnant with their first child.
The 'Independent Mail' also published Ayers' last blog entry. Before his last blog entry, Ayers had posted a two-part article on “Ten Things I Can’t Believe.”
His list began with this entry: “I can’t believe that Jesus would choose me. I never deserved it! I can’t believe that He would love me and want me!”
The list included this entry:
“I can't believe that I am going to (be) a dad. … I want to apologize to the whole world because this kids going to be one messed up, Jesus loving, church going, Georgia fan if there has ever been one. I pray and hope that is at least for the first two things!”
Ayers’ funeral is planned for 2 p.m. Friday at Shoal Creek Baptist Church in Lavonia. Strickland Funeral Home is handling the arrangements. To read more on this story, click here.
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