Neighbor speaks about moments he came face-to-face with Cobb County officer shooting suspect

ACWORTH, Ga. — A Cobb County officer shot in the chest while responding to a domestic incident is hospitalized, but recovering thanks to his bulletproof vest.

One witness is now recounting the moments just after the shooting to Channel 2′s Michael Seiden.

[RELATED: Police fatally shoot gunman they say shot Cobb County officer]

“Well we heard gunshots down the street. I wasn’t sure where I heard them,” said Cobb County resident Rick Pophem.

Pophem said that as soon as he heard gunfire, he looked out the window of his Acworth home, only to lock eyes with the man police say is behind that gunfire. Pophem says he saw an armed man running through his backyard.

“He looked at me, kept running, didn’t point the gun at me,” Pophem told Seiden.

“Were you thinking about getting your gun?,” Seiden asked.

“Well, yeah,” he laughed.

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Police say the as of yet unidentified man was involved in a domestic incident at a home on North Shores Rd. When an officer arrived, the suspect started shooting.

“The first officer on the scene was actually talking to the involved parties, and the male subject in that dispute actually drew a weapon and pretty much point blank shot our officer in the chest,” said Sergeant Wayne Delk with the Cobb County Police Department. “Luckily , our officer was wearing a vest he was transported to the hospital.”

The shooting sparked a massive manhunt involving dozens of law enforcement agents, many of whom were armed with assault rifles over several hours.

“A lot of homes down through there, so a lot of places for someone to hide,” said resident Warren Jackson.

Police say the hours-long manhunt came to an end when the suspect shot at an officer who returned fire, striking and killing the suspect right in front of Pophen’s home.

“Out here in the country, it’s quiet, huh? This ain’t country no more,” Pophen said.

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Police have not yet released the name or any details on the suspect killed in the shooting.

Manhunt underway for gunman who shot Cobb County police officer

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