Police ID officer wounded during deadly exchange at Midtown apartment

An Atlanta police officer was wounded and the suspected gunman was killed during an exchange of gunfire Wednesday afternoon inside a Midtown apartment building.

Joseph Lee Humbles, 29, of Atlanta was fatally shot after opening fire on two officers, hitting one of them twice, authorities said.. The officer was shot at the Solace on Peachtree Apartments in the 700 block of Peachtree Street, one block north of the iconic Fox Theatre.

He was identified Thursday as Khuong Thai. Thai, who joined the department in 2019, was struck in the shoulder and the face when he and another officer were ambushed on the eighth floor of the Solace on Peachtree Apartments, according to police and GBI officials. The officers returned fire, killing Humbles.

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said two officers were “ambushed” while responding to a report of a shooting on the building’s eighth floor shortly after 1 p.m.. According to the GBI, two officers rode the elevator up, and as the door opened on the eighth floor Humbles immediately began shooting.

“The two officers were able to return fire, which struck Humbles,” agency spokeswoman Nelly Miles said. “Humbles died as a result of his injuries.”

Investigators determined that Humbles shot another person prior to the officers’ arrival, she said. That person was taken to a hospital with injuries that are not considered life-threatening.

Following the shooting in the elevator, Thai was carried outside by his colleagues and rushed to Grady Memorial Hospital, Atlanta police Chief Rodney Bryant said. He is listed as stable and in “good spirits,” Bryant said.

Credit: Ben Gray

Credit: Ben Gray

“It is only through their training and by the grace of God that these officers did not come upon a more tragic situation,” Bryant told reporters.

The injured officer was alert and speaking with family members and colleagues at the hospital, authorities said.

A chaotic scene unfolded as officers from across the city flooded Midtown on Wednesday afternoon. Witnesses looked on in disbelief as police helicopters circled overhead and SWAT units responded to the scene.

Credit: Kelly Audette

Credit: Kelly Audette

Patrick Walker, who works as a concierge for the apartment building, was at the front desk when he he heard what sounded like a loud box drop to the floor. Police came running through the doors, scattering employees and others in the lobby, Walker told the AJC from the scene.

From his position inside a locked leasing office, Walker said he heard lots of gunfire. He then saw an officer being carried out by his arms and legs “bleeding so bad.”

“I’ve never known what it meant to run for your life and be so scared,” he said. “Now I do.”

One woman who lives across the street looked on from the window of her apartment as five officers picked up the wounded policeman and carried him down Peachtree.

“They scooped him up and carried him to the ambulance,” said the witness, who didn’t want her name used out of fear for her safety. “It was pretty unsettling.”

She took photos as backup arrived and dozens of police vehicles lined Peachtree Street beneath her apartment building, a rare sight for Midtown.

Credit: Contributed

Credit: Contributed

“Before this I really never felt nervous,” she said. “Stuff does happen around here but I always felt like Midtown flew under the radar. This takes everything to a new level here today. I don’t know that I’ll sleep very well tonight.”

Credit: BEN GRAY / FOR THE AJC

Credit: BEN GRAY / FOR THE AJC

Bryant met with the officer and his family at Grady shortly before 6 p.m., the chief told reporters outside the hospital.

“We will continue to support his family as well as the officer who was with him at the time of the incident,” Bryant said, praising the officers who rushed to the scene after the officer was wounded.

One officer, he said, was injured in a crash while driving to the apartment building to help his colleagues.

“I’m often asked if officers have backed off from doing their jobs, doing their duty,” Bryant said. “Today shows that has not happened. (They) rushed into that facility recognizing they were coming up on a dangerous situation.”

Peachtree Street remained shut down between Ponce de Leon Avenue and 5th Street for most of the day as police investigated. Several side streets were also blocked near the apartment building.

Atlanta real estate agent Jamie Sternlieb described the chaos as police descended on the area. She planned to go to CVS to pick up a prescription, but decided to walk the other way when she heard the commotion.

”There are a ton of cops and they have some of the buildings on lockdown,” she told the AJC. “They’re not letting anyone into that area and they’re not letting cars through.”

U.S. Army veteran Anthony Crawford was sitting outside a restaurant near the Solace building when he saw the two officers walk inside. Minutes later, he heard gunshots and ran from the scene.

“My heart was racing. Being in the Army, I knew what it was,” he said. “I just took off ... You’re just not sure if you’re going to be next.”

The GBI is investigating the police shooting and Atlanta police are handling the initial shooting inside the apartment building, authorities said.

In a tweet, Gov. Brian Kemp said he and his family are praying for the officer wounded in the line of duty.

“Georgia stands with the brave men and women who protect us every day,” he wrote.

Courtney Smith, the president of the Midtown Neighbors’ Association, said the organization connected the owner of the Solace building with Atlanta police, and they have been in contact.

She thanked APD and Midtown Blue for their swift response to the incident.

“Every neighborhood is struggling with crime. In Midtown, most of our crime is non-violent. This is unusual for our neighborhood,” Smith said, adding that residents are concerned too many arguments escalate to involve guns. “It’s a societal issue that we need to address as a community. It’s not something that the APD can solve alone.”

She said the Midtown Neighbors’ Association is hosting a town hall meeting with Bryant on July 13 to discuss what Atlanta communities can do to reduce crime.

Credit: Ben Gray

Credit: Ben Gray

— Atlanta Journal-Constitution producer Kelly Audette and reporters J.D. Capelouto and Caroline Silva contributed to this article.