Authorities said a man pointed a gun at DeKalb County police and exchanged gunfire with Avondale Estates police Tuesday afternoon before crashing a stolen vehicle during a pursuit on I-285 West, placing traffic at a standstill for about an hour.
Dozens of law enforcement vehicles were at the scene on the interstate just past the interchange with I-675. The incident was first reported at 1:45 p.m., according to the Georgia Department of Transportation. Traffic started to flow again by 2:50 p.m., though two lanes on both the eastbound and westbound sides were still closed as of 5 p.m.
The series of events started around 1:20 p.m. when DeKalb police said they got a call about a man flashing a gun and threatening people in the parking lot of a McDonald’s in the 4000 block of Memorial Drive, about 10 miles northeast of the crash scene.
When officers got to the restaurant, police said the man pulled out a gun, leading one officer to draw her firearm in response.
“The suspect, after being challenged, then sped away from the scene in a vehicle later determined to be stolen, hitting multiple vehicles in the process, including some Avondale PD units,” DeKalb police spokesperson Elise Wells told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “While fleeing, the suspect shot at Avondale police, causing them to return fire.”
In a statement, Avondale Estates police Chief Harry Hess said the exchange of gunfire happened during the pursuit. The sergeant was placed on paid administrative leave, which is policy following an officer-involved shooting. No Avondale Estates police officers were injured during the incident, Hess said.
DeKalb police said they were able to stop the man by using a PIT maneuver, or intentionally bumping the vehicle to spin it. The vehicle came to rest upside down.
The suspect, who was not publicly identified, was taken into custody and transported to a hospital with minor injuries, police said.
Wells said a DeKalb officer was involved in another crash on the way to the scene. She was taken to a hospital and was said to be stable. No other DeKalb officers were hurt.
The GBI was requested to investigate by Avondale Estates police. DeKalb police will handle the criminal charges for the suspect, Wells said.
Some motorists were diverted onto I-675, according to the Traffic Center. Commuters were also asked to use I-20 as an alternate.
» For updated traffic information, listen to News 95.5 and AM 750 WSB and follow @wsbtraffic on X.
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