The search for an armed car thief in Cobb County led to an exchange of fire that left an officer injured and the suspect dead Thursday night, authorities said.
The incident began shortly after 7 p.m., when a man armed with a rifle stole a Tesla near the Delk and Powers Ferry Roads intersection, Cobb police said.
“The suspect evaded officers and also began shooting at them from the car with some form of rifle,” said Cobb police spokesman Sgt. Wayne Delk said.
Police from various agencies chased the man into a community of townhouses near Powers Ferry and Akers Mill roads. The man shot officers a second time after leaving the car and running into the neighborhood, police said.
“He tried to force his way into one of the residences, but the owner did not open the door even though he brandished his weapon,” Delk said.
According to police, the man ran through the neighborhood and continued to shoot officers, hitting one of them in the head. Other officers responded to the fire, fatally injuring the car theft suspect.
The officer who was shot was aware of the scene and was taken to the hospital, Delk said. The round that hit him did not penetrate his skull, and the officer is expected to make a full recovery.
The investigation into the shooting has been turned over to the GBI. It is the 51st shooting involving officers that the agency has been asked to investigate this year.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution also tracks shootings involving non-GBI officers, and those numbers sometimes differ from the GBI’s count.
No additional information has been published.
– Go back to AJC.com for updates.
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