A 20-year-old man died early Sunday morning after a police foot chase in Stone Mountain, Georgia, ended with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. The man, identified as Vermontay Burch, was being pursued by a DeKalb County police officer when the officer deployed a Taser. Moments later, the officer heard a gunshot and found Burch lying on the ground with a gunshot wound, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI).
The incident began around 4:51 a.m. on November 1, 2026, after DeKalb County police received a report of an armed carjacking in Stone Mountain. An officer responding to the call went to the area of Lancashire Circle, where a vehicle matching the description provided in the report was spotted.
As the officer approached the vehicle, Burch, 20, of Stone Mountain, got out and ran. The officer immediately went after him on foot, leading the pursuit into a nearby apartment complex close to the 400 building of Eagle Springs Way.
The chase took another turn when the officer deployed a Taser, striking Burch while pursuing him through the apartment complex. According to investigators, the officer immediately heard a gunshot after using the device.
When the officer reached Burch, he found the young man on the ground with what investigators described as an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. Emergency medical assistance was provided, but Burch was pronounced dead at the scene.
Authorities have not publicly established the precise sequence surrounding the gunshot and the Taser deployment. The GBI’s initial account states that the officer heard the shot immediately after deploying the device, but the circumstances surrounding the shooting remain part of the investigation.
Burch’s body was taken to the DeKalb County Medical Examiner’s Office, where an autopsy will be conducted. The examination is expected to help establish additional medical findings surrounding his death.
The DeKalb County Police Department requested an independent investigation by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. State investigators are examining the use-of-force incident and the circumstances surrounding Burch’s death.
Once the investigation is complete, the GBI will submit its findings to the DeKalb Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office for review. Anyone with information about the incident is encouraged to contact the GBI Atlanta Regional Investigative Office at 770-388-5019. Anonymous tips can also be submitted by calling 800-597-8477.
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