COWETA COUNTY, Ga. — A chase traveled across multiple counties, reached speeds of 130 mph and involved a man allegedly shooting twice at deputies from his car before coming to an end in Atlanta with a crash Wednesday afternoon.
The Coweta County Sheriff's Office said the chase involving their deputies came to an end with a wreck on the Interstate 85 exit ramp at Sylvan Road in Atlanta.
In a release, the sheriff's office said it started with a Coweta deputy trying to pull the car over on I-85 North.
The car stopped at first, and then as the deputy approached on foot, the driver sped off, authorities said.
"The vehicle continued north on I-85 at speeds in excess of 130 mph," a sheriff's office statement said. "The occupant of the vehicle aimed a firearm at the pursuing deputy and fired at least two rounds while outside of Coweta County."
After the crash, the sheriff's office said the driver "was taken into custody without further incident." There were no injuries involved in the incident, either to the suspect or the deputies, though the suspect was "transported to the hospital for medical clearance and will be transported to Coweta County Jail."
Abdul Kahn who owns a gas station in Hapeville saw it all unfold. He pulled out his phone to record as police cruisers rushed by North Central Avenue.
"It was really, really, really crazy cause there were kids walking over here as well – it was during the time where school had just ended. It was kind of crazy," he said. "I thought it was a shooting. I thought maybe somebody got killed. I wasn’t too sure so that’s why I came out to see what was happening."
The sheriff's office said the suspect faces multiple charges across the multiple jurisdictions that spanned the chase.
Kahn said he hopes more is done to help keep the community safe and prevent scenes like this from happening.
"It’s a scary time these days – the past couple of years crime has increased tremendously and all I can think of is how we can have a safer environment," he said. "I try to pray for everyone around us. I just love Atlanta and hate to see things like this go down—I hope our politicians can do more to keep Atlanta safe.”
The Coweta Sheriff's Office called the Georgia Bureau of Investigation for assistance, as is standard procedure.