ATLANTA — Editor’s note: When 11Alive talked with Joseph Grier Tuesday as a witness at the scene of a separate shooting in Downtown Atlanta, an editorial decision was made to not use his interview at that time. On Wednesday morning, 11Alive confirmed Grier was the suspect in the bus hijacking and a decision was then made to use his interview in news coverage. Grier shared information that potentially offers insight into his mental state during the alleged crimes.
New details have come to light after 11Alive realized our crews spoke with the man who is now charged with allegedly hijacking a Gwinnett County transit bus on Tuesday.
Joseph Grier -- now charged with murder, more than a dozen counts of kidnapping, aggravated assault hijacking and other charges -- was at another crime scene hours earlier, where three people were shot at the Peachtree Center mall. In the video interview with 11Alive, Grier is seen wearing a light grey shirt and holding a watch.
11Alive interacted with Grier across the street from the scene, speaking to him as part of the initial newsgathering process of interviewing witnesses. 11Alive chose not to air the interview during our live coverage at the time. We are doing so now, as Grier has since been identified as a suspect in this incident in order to provide more insight about what Grier expressed about his mental health before the bus chase happened.
When he started talking to 11Alive, we asked him if he was inside when the shooting happened. Grier replied that he hid during the shooting. He recounted how he saw a confrontation between the suspect and a woman before shots rang out.
"So I’m leaving out of the thing," Grier said, pointing toward the Peachtree Center Mall. "So I see the shooter, I guess, you know what I'm saying."
You can listen to the interaction below:
In a rambling interview, he told reporters that he's diagnosed with bipolar disorder and has been off his medication for two weeks, adding that he was experiencing a manic episode.
"Right now I'm in a extreme mode," Grier told reporters.
Hours later, Grier allegedly forced the driver of a Gwinnett County transit bus at gunpoint to take off, leading officers on a wild chase from Downtown Atlanta into Gwinnett County. 11Alive was live on the air following the chase as the bus crashed into multiple cars.
It finally came to an end in a residential area, with officers removing him from the bus at gunpoint. One passenger was found dead.
Grier, who waived his first appearance in court, is now charged with the following, according to Fulton County Jail records:
- Murder
- Kidnapping (14 counts)
- Hijacking a motor vehicle (1st Degree)
- Aggravated assault (14 counts)
- Possession of a firearm or knife during the commission of or attempt to commit certain felonies
- Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
Documents show he has been denied bond.
