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APD: Officer shoots 18-year-old after witnessing drug transaction; Teen was allegedly armed with gun

In an earlier statement, APD said the suspect was alert and conscious following the shooting. The officer was not hurt.

ATLANTA — An officer shot an 18-year-old during a foot pursuit after police witnessed a drug transaction Saturday evening, Atlanta Police said.

According to Maj. David Villaroel, commander of Atlanta Police Department's property crime section, the initial scene unfolded at a Texaco lot near the corner of Northside Drive and McDaniel Street around 6:50 p.m. The shooting happened at a nearby apartment complex off of Greensferry Ave.

Villaroel said officers working a narcotics detail near the gas station saw a "hand to hand transaction" with drugs and went to approach the two people who were allegedly involved.

"Upon exiting the patrol vehicle, they noticed one of the males had a gun in his hands," he said. "The officer gave him several commands to drop the weapon as he engaged the suspect in a foot pursuit.”

He said during the foot chase, the suspect tried to jump a fence with the weapon in his hand and police continued to order the teen to drop the gun.

“The officer subsequently discharged his weapon and struck the male, 18-year-old male, in the rear buttocks," Villaroel said. 

In an earlier statement, APD said the suspect was alert and conscious following the shooting. The officer was not hurt. 

A Georgia Bureau of Investigation spokesperson said their agency has been called to investigate the shooting.

This is a developing story. Check back often for new information.

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