Funeral Services Set Toccoa Man Involved in Police Standoff

Still no word on what may have caused a Toccoa man to fatally shoot himself in front of law enforcement officers in Cherokee County over the weekend.

Meantime, funeral services will be held Saturday in Carnesville  for 30-year old James Alan Woods of Toccoa.

Woods shot himself last Sunday morning along I-575 in Cherokee County just northwest of Atlanta near the town of Holly Springs.

According to Holly Springs Police Lt Tanya Smith, officers responded to a 911 call about a man walking along the side of I-575 who was holding a gun to his head.

Smith said when officers arrived they found  Woods dressed in a protective/bullet proof styled vest.

According to Smith, several Cherokee County agencies responded to try and negotiate with Woods including Canton Police, Cherokee County Fire and EMS, Woodstock Police and the Cherokee County Sheriff’s office.

Negotiators with Woodstock Police and the Cherokee County Sheriff’s department spoke to Woods as he made his way over to the wood line next to the interstate and sat down, keeping the gun pointed at his head. 

As police tried to talk to Woods, he continued to sit where he was with the gun to his head. 

Smith said however, that after about  two hours Woods took his own life by shooting himself in the head. 

Smith said Wood’s vehicle that had been parked on the side of I-575 was towed to the Cherokee Sheriffs impound lot where detectives conducted a search in an attempt to determine what had prompted Woods’ actions, but found nothing and no other weapons. 

Woods was reportedly living in Lilburn, Georgia and working in construction.  His mother and other family members live in Toccoa.  Ginn Funeral Home of Carnesville is handling the arrangements.