Cobb County Police Department, Georgia
End of Watch: Saturday, July 24, 1999
Age: 32
Tour of Duty: 7 years
Badge Number: 1285
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: July 23, 1999
Weapon Used: Shotgun
Suspect Info: Killed during second raid
Police Officer Stephen Gilner and Sergeant Stephen Reeves were shot and killed during a SWAT raid at a home near the intersection of William Paul Drive and Randy Court.
The two officers were on a SWAT Team entering a house during a standoff with a man who had shot and wounded another officer earlier in the day. The subject opened fire on the team with a shotgun as they made entry into the home. Sergeant Reeves, the fourth officer on the entry team, was struck by the blast.
Officer Gilner, the fifth officer on the team, entered the residence to pull Sergeant Reeves out of harm's way. He then re-entered the residence, at which point he was also shot. Both officers were transported to a local hospital where Sergeant Reeves died shortly after midnight.
A third officer who entered the house was also shot and wounded.
The Cobb County Sheriff's Office's SWAT Team took over the mission early the next day. The subject was shot and killed as he attempted to escape the residence the next morning. The incident began when the subject assaulted one of his neighbors completely unprovoked. As the responding officer approached the man he was shot in both arms, both legs, and the back with a .40-caliber handgun and a 12-gauge shotgun.
Officer Gilner was a U.S. Marine Corps veteran. He is survived by his wife, 22-month-old daughter, parents, and two sisters.