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NASHVILLE — A man died after being shot during a weekend encounter with a police officer in Berrien County, according to authorities.

The Nashville Police Department asked the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to probe an incident that took place at about 3 p.m. Sunday on Mell Avenue, according to a GBI statement.

Preliminary information indicates police received a 911 call about a domestic dispute in the area of Mell Avenue. Upon arrival, a police officer made contact with an individual who said a subject involved in the alleged domestic dispute was traveling in a red Jeep.

As the officer was getting this information, the red Jeep passed by and the officer performed a traffic stop on the vehicle on Mell Avenue. As the officer approached the vehicle, a shot was fired; the officer returned fire toward the vehicle, the statement said.

After clearing the scene, the officer approached the vehicle and found Dearius Lamar Reed, 21, of Nashville, suffering from a gunshot wound inside the vehicle, the GBI said. Reed was transported to South Georgia Medical Center for treatment. The police officer was not injured, the statement said.

The GBI confirmed Reed was dead late Monday.

Once the GBI completes its investigation, the case will be submitted to the Alapaha Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office for review, the statement said.

Terry Richards is senior reporter at The Valdosta Daily Times.