Police shoot armed man in Atlanta on Christmas Eve, GBI says

Atlanta police shot an armed man accused of firing multiple shots and chasing a woman on Christmas Eve, authorities said.

The officer, who was not named, fired several shots at Joshua Knox, 31, the GBI said in a statement. Knox survived and was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital.

The incident began when several residents at a West Atlanta apartment complex flagged down an Atlanta officer who was working an off-duty job around 11:45 p.m., according to the GBI, which is investigating the shooting. The complex is near the Collier Heights neighborhood.

“Two citizens actually approached the officer while he was in his car,” Deputy Chief Prenzinna Spann told reporters at the scene. “Those two citizens alarmed the officer and let them know that there was a male armed with a firearm that was chasing a female.”

The officer then encountered Knox, who had a gun in his hand, Spann said. After the officer gave several commands to drop his firearm, which Knox refused to do, the officer fired his weapon and struck Knox at least once, according to the GBI report.

After the GBI investigates the shooting, it will turn over its findings to the Fulton County district attorney to determine whether to file charges.