ATLANTA — The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has been called in to investigate after an attempted vehicle theft investigation led Atlanta Police from Buckhead to the heart of Midtown where an officer ultimately opened fire.
Police spokesperson and officer Steve Avery said that, around 3 p.m., officers were sent to an attempted vehicle theft at 575 Pharr Road in Buckhead. From there, a vehicle description was provided over the police radio and several officers soon found it near 13th Street and Crescent Avenue.
Avery said that, when a marked patrol vehicle pulled into the parking lot, the suspect made an escape attempt, pointing the vehicle at nearby officers who were on foot.
Reacting to the oncoming vehicle, Avery said one of those officers opened fire several times. The officer and a nearby vehicle were hit as the suspect escaped.
Police later found the vehicle unoccupied near Williams Street and 10th Street. Police do not believe the driver was hit by the gunfire. Avery said the officer who was hit by the vehicle sustained only minor injuries and was treated at the scene.
The suspect is still on the run, police said.
Per the department's policy for when an officer opens fire, the GBI has been called in as an independent investigative agency. They will collect evidence from the shooting and turn it over to the district attorney who will then decide whether the police officer involved violated any policies or laws.
The scene is also less than a mile from where another shooting investigation took place in the early morning hours of Saturday.
Around 3 a.m., police were called to the 800 block of West Peachtree Street where a victim was shot in the hand. The victim in that case, however, has not provided police with any details surrounding the circumstances of the shooting.