One person was taken into custody near Dunwoody’s Perimeter Mall after an early morning chase and confrontation, during which police said they fired at a group of burglary suspects who jumped into a security car and drove toward officers.
The man in custody is being treated for apparent gunshot wounds, police said, and the search for two other suspects is ongoing.
Dunwoody police responded to the closed mall early Thursday for a report of a burglary in progress, police spokesperson Sgt. Michael Cheek told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Three men broke into the mall by smashing the glass with a sledgehammer, Cheek said. They then broke into the boutique store Request with the sledgehammer and “took a large amount of luxury bags from the store,” he said.
When officers arrived at the parking lot, they encountered the men, who fled the scene by stealing a mall security vehicle, officials said. Officers began a brief pursuit.
Credit: Ben Hendren
Credit: Ben Hendren
The vehicle crossed Ashford-Dunwoody Road and stopped at 66 Perimeter Center East, where police confronted the suspects. The group then “intentionally drove their vehicle toward our officers,” Cheek said. Police shot at the car, and the group drove away and crashed nearby on Ashford-Dunwoody Road. The suspects ran away on foot.
The wrecked mall security car was left with bullet holes that shattered the driver’s side window.
After several hours of searching, Dunwoody police officers located one man in the nearby tree line. They took him into custody before 9 a.m., and he is being treated for apparent gunshot wounds, Cheek said.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is investigating the officer-involved shooting.
Canine units responded to the scene, and a DeKalb County police helicopter aided in the search, Cheek said.
Credit: Ben Hendren for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Credit: Ben Hendren for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
People were initially advised to avoid the area. As of 9 a.m., police are still in the area looking for two additional suspects, but there are no impacts to traffic on Ashford-Dunwoody Road or to those arriving to the Perimeter Mall area for work.
Dunwoody police’s burglary investigation is still ongoing, and no charges have been announced.
The AJC has reached out to Perimeter Mall representatives for comment.
— Please return to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution for updates.
About the Author
Keep Reading
The Latest
Featured
