DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. -- Police have caught a second suspect in an officer-involved shooting Friday morning. The 29-year-old man was arrested in Dawn Memorial Park, a cemetery less than a mile from the police command post.
Another suspect and two police officers were shot in the incident at the Colony Ridge Apartments in the 4300 block of Glenwood Road.
The shooting happened at around 6:45 a.m. The original 911 call reported a home invasion and armed robbery. DeKalb police and sheriff's officials responded to the scene, where they found the two suspects leaving the apartment.
DeKalb County Police Capt. Steven Fore said the suspects fired at police officers with assault rifles. Officers were able to return fire, striking one suspect, a 39-year-old man, in the torso. The second suspect ran from the scene; he was caught and taken into custody at around 11 a.m.
DeKalb County Director of Public Safety Dr. Cedric Alexander said the second suspect suffered gunshot wounds to the torso and leg, and was also bitten by a K9. He was found in the cemetery by a Doraville K9.
Fore said after the shooting, the first suspect was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital in critical condition. Both officers suffered non-life-threatening injuries and were transported to Atlanta Medical Center
One officer, 29-year-old Devon Perry, was shot in the calf. He has since been released from the hospital. Perry has worked for DeKalb County police for four years.
The second officer, 27-year-old Tony Luong, was shot in the thigh and is still at Atlanta Medical Center in fair condition. His gunshot injury required surgery. He has been on the force for one year.
Police began breaking down the crime scene and taking down the police tape around the apartment complex at around 8:45 a.m. Residents were allowed to return to their homes on foot.
Police established a perimeter at Glenwood Road and Austin Drive, shutting down the intersection. It has since reopened.
Four nearby schools were also placed on soft lockdown -- Columbia High School, DeKalb Preparatory Academy, Snapfinger Elementary School and Towers High School. Parents were made aware of the situation and were reassured that their children were safe.
The lockdown was lifted shortly before noon.
DeKalb County Schools spokesman Quinn Hudson said a lockdown is standard operating procedure when requested by police.
"We have our own DeKalb school police at each of the four schools, monitoring people coming and going. The students are following a normal schedule. I would dare say, if you asked one of the students right now what was going on he wouldn't know what you were talking about because nothing has changed within the schools," Hudson said.
Witness Evyon White told 11Alive's Kaitlyn Ross she's staying at the Econolodge down the street. At around 4:30 this morning, she saw an SUV flying through the motel area, then saw someone in a red hat frantically knocking on doors.
"I was very scared, because that suspect was circling the hotel and he's still in the area," she said. "It's terrible thing for police to get shot just doing their jobs. It's just deplorable."
Rubbernecker crash shuts down 285
As police officers actively searched for suspects, a driver on I-285 south crashed into the center median wall. It shut down I-285 south, while police activity shut down traffic in the other direction. Once police realized the crash was unrelated to their search, a HERO unit pulled the SUV to the side. Both lanes were reopened.
Two officers shot in same area in 2008
Two DeKalb County police officers were killed in the same area in 2008. Eric Cecil Barker Sr. and Ricky Bryant Jr. were working security while off-duty at an apartment complex when they received a report of a suspicious person on Glenwood Road. When they arrived, the suspect was able to gain control of their weapons and kill the officers. The suspect, William Woodard, was sentenced to life in prison.
