A 20-year-old with a long history of arrests was charged with shooting a recent Atlanta police recruit in the face during a foot chase Friday night.

Frank Emmitt Nance was booked into the Fulton County Jail overnight and charged with nine criminal counts, including aggravated assault against a police officer, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of cocaine.

Nance, of Atlanta, is charged with shooting Officer Reggie Robinson in the face around 6:30 p.m. near the intersection of Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard and Lee Street.

Robinson, 35, graduated from the police academy in November and was dispatched to the southwest Atlanta neighborhood Friday night to investigate possible drug activity. He gave chase when a suspicious man ran from him and was shot moments later, police say.

Robinson was transported to Grady Memorial Hospital and is in stable condition, said police spokesman John Chafee.

Records show Nance has been in and out of the Fulton County Jail several times over the last four years, including an arrest in April on assault and battery charges. He waived his first court appearance Saturday morning and was ordered held without bond until his preliminary hearing scheduled on January 25.

Police would not say how Nance sustained injuries evident in his mug shot taken Friday night. APD spokesman Gregory Lyon said the department’s internal review board will investigate all aspects of the shooting — as they do any time an officer is involved in a shooting — to ensure all policies and procedures were followed.

About the Author

Keep Reading

The GBI is investigating an officer-involved shooting Saturday night, saying that an officer shot a man who pointed a gun at police. The man, identified as Volanta Lejuan Walker of Douglasville, is suspected of killing his wife, who was laying in the yard near Walker when police arrived, the GBI said. (Jason Getz/AJC)

Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com

Featured

Amy Bielawski, who runs Hare-Brained Productions, prepares to work at a Fall Festival in Stone Mountain on Oct. 4, 2025. Bielawski is worried she may not be able to afford health care through Georgia Access when subsidies expire. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC