ATLANTA — A man is in custody after shots were fired at the Four Seasons in Midtown Atlanta. The scene unfolded as police investigated a call for a barricaded gunman on Tuesday. Atlanta Police said the suspect and an Atlanta Police officer were taken to the hospital to be treated for injuries.
New videos obtained by 11Alive show the moments the suspect, identified as 70-year-old Dr. Jay Berger, was throwing items off his balcony on the 33rd floor of the Four Seasons hotel in the residential part of the building that is above the hotel.
A resident at the condo complex also captured a close-up of Berger waving two small American flags off his balcony and seemingly pointing down to people on the ground.
In the second video, Berger throws what appears to be a chair off the balcony of the condo. Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said that the suspect also threw a gun off his balcony and other condo items.
Berger is accused of having a handgun, shotgun, rifle and knives in the unit and opening fire his guns at the wall and door inside the condo.
In the final video, Berger is seen afar on the balcony getting taken into custody by tactical SWAT team members of the Atlanta Police Department.
What we know about barricaded gunman call at Midtown Four Seasons
- Atlanta Police said the call came in a little before 2 p.m., which prompted a heavy law enforcement response at the Four Seasons in Midtown on 14th Street.
- Schierbaum said it all started from a dispute between a Four Seasons employee and the suspect on the 33rd floor of the residential side of the Four Seasons.
- APD said that the man, identified as 70-year-old Jay Stevens Berger, had a handgun on him during the altercation with the employee. Chief Schierbaum described the incident as a mental health emergency.
- Atlanta Police officers were asked to respond to the room, and when they approached the door, they asked Berger to come out peacefully.
- Officers learned that Berger allegedly had access to other weapons -- specifically a handgun, a shotgun, a rifle and several knives.
- That's when APD's tactical team was activated, and the SWAT team responded. The 33rd floor, along with the 32nd and 34th floors, were all evacuated as efforts began for the suspect to surrender peacefully, police said.
- Schierbaum said that's when the suspect began firing his weapons. Shots were fired through the walls and the door of the unit, and one round was fired from the balcony, according to police. The chief said they saw Berger throw at least one weapon off the balcony. In total, police said that approximately 15 rounds were fired by the suspect.
- Berger was taken into custody by law enforcement inside the Four Seasons just before 5 p.m. on Tuesday afternoon. Schierbaum said they saw him raise his hands as if he were surrendering, and that's when the SWAT team went inside and arrested him.
- He is being charged with aggravated assault but is expected to face more charges.
- During the incident, one Atlanta Police officer was injured. It's unclear how the officer was hurt. The officer was taken to Grady Hospital, but injuries are not expected to be life-threatening.
- Two officers fired their weapons at Berger after Schierbaum said the suspect began firing his gun off the balcony.
- Berger was seen being stretchered off and put into an ambulance. He was taken to Grady Hospital to be treated for his injuries, which are not yet known.
- Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said the suspect was wearing what appeared to be a gas mask, so officers did not know whether the suspect had chemical irritants that would be harmful when trying to take him into custody.
- "We saw bravery. We saw an effort to make sure we preserve life," Schierbaum said about his officers' response.