DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — Two DeKalb County Police Department officers were shot Wednesday at a subdivision in DeKalb County on Wednesday afternoon.
The incident unfolded at a home on Waldrop Cove. In a press conference before 2 p.m., DeKalb CEO Michael Thurmond and DeKalb Police Chief Mirtha Ramos offered an outline of what happened. Chief Ramos identified the two officers injured as Sgt. Matthews, who was shot in the leg or perhaps upper hip, and Ofc. Howell, who was shot in the foot.
The chief said Sgt. Matthews, even after being shot in the leg, gave pursuit of the suspect -- identified so far as a 20-year-old male -- and helped take him into custody.
Chief Ramos said officers responded a little after 11 a.m. after they received an "open line" 911 call, where, as the chief explained, a call comes in with no one on the other end but they could hear arguing in the background.
Officers were then dispatched to the location where they encountered a mom who said her son was behaving aggressively and "causing a dispute" with her and another person at the home. The officers went into the apartment and approached a bedroom door when the subject "fired several shots" and both officers were struck.
The police chief said both officers are stable and being treated at Grady Hospital.
Ramos said Sgt. Matthews' pursuit of the suspect, despite being shot in the leg, "demonstrates the bravery that our officers need to display every day."
Thurmond, the county CEO, said early indications was that the officers would make a full recovery, and Chief Ramos said they were "grateful and blessed our officers will be able to spend Thanksgiving with their families."
Chief Ramos said she had received many calls of support on behalf of the officers, including from Gov. Brian Kemp.