Both Atlanta Police officers who shot a man multiple times Wednesday had less than three years on the force, Atlanta police disclosed Thursday.
Officer Jimmy Alvaran was hired in May 2012 and Sean Fagan was hired in February 2013.
But the Atlanta police chief said the preliminary investigation indicates that the two relatively new officers had reason to fear for their lives when they shot 22-year-old Yuric J. Ussery.
The fleeing Ussery pulled a pistol, Chief George Turner said.
“A witness… heard an officer yell. ‘He has a gun,’” Turner said.
Alvaran and Fagan were part of a crime-suppression team in area whose duties included tamping down on quality of life crimes such as jaywalking, Turner said. They tried to question Ussey when he was illegally walking down the middle of McDaniel Street near Turner Field around 7 p.m. Wednesday, the chief said.
Instead he took off running, Turner said.
Ussery, who remains hospitalized, was shot near the intersection of Garibaldi Street and Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard. It is unclear whether Ussery fired at the officers because the semi-automatic pistol was jammed when officers recovered it, which could have occurred after firing,Turner said.
“The officers felt threatened by the actual presence of the weapon,” the chief said.
Authorities found a gun abandoned under a 60-foot oak tree flanked by new construction townhomes and a run-down building that they said they believe was the one produced by Ussey. The gun was reported stolen last year, Turner said.
Ussery was on probation as a first-offender for receiving stolen property and police believe he fled because he was in possession of a stolen firearm, Turner said.
Police have seized about 450 firearms since Jan. 1, Turner said. “We’re up about 10 percent the number of weapon this year that we have taken off the street,” he said.
Police have charged Ussey with aggravated assault, firearm charges and obstruction of law enforcement officers.
Turner did not release the number of times Ussery was shot or how many shots the officers had fired. APD’s homicide unit is investigating the shooting.
He said the department plans to have a 1,000 officers equipped with body cameras by the end of June to aid in investigations. It is still unclear what the department policy will be regarding releasing the video to the public and what the requirements are under the state open records law, Turner said.
In accordance with department policy, the officers who fired shots will be placed on a minimum of three days’ administrative duty.
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