LITHIA SPRINGS, Ga. — A man has been hospitalized and a woman is now recovering after a chase led to a shooting involving police early Wednesday morning.
According to a news release from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the shooting happened after officers were called to a home just before midnight on Tuesday, off Drennon Avenue in Austell.
A caller claimed that a man and an “unknown woman” pulled up to his home, trying to take his daughter, a 20-year-old woman. The caller also told police that the man was a convicted felon armed with a gun, the release said.
While officers were leaving the scene, they spotted a vehicle that matched the description of the car seen leaving the home. The GBI said officers tried to pull the vehicle over, but the driver didn’t stop.
Investigators said a chase then ensued between police and the driver. The release said the pursuit entered Douglas County and ended after a PIT maneuver was used to stop the driver along Thornton Road in Lithia Springs.
Once the car was stopped, police said the 38-year-old driver was told repeatedly to show his hand and then he reached under his seat. That’s when officers shot him, hitting the passenger in the process. The pair was taken to Grady for their injuries. The woman has been released from the hospital and the man is still in the hospital but stable, authorities said.
A gun was later recovered from the car, the GBI said.
Following the shooting, investigators learned that the driver was the biological father of the daughter. The man who called to report him was the daughter's stepfather, the GBI said.
11Alive went to the home where the call was made and the person who answered the door said this is the result of ongoing family issues.
Cobb County Police said they are investigating the events leading up to the 911 call and criminal charges pending. Meanwhile, the GBI is still investigating the shooting. Once done, they will hand their findings to the Douglas Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office for review.
This is a developing story. Check back often for new information.
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