A suspected shooter was taken into custody Wednesday after he was accused of opening fire on Clayton County officers responding to an apartment complex near Jonesboro.
The officers were called to the 700 block of Mount Zion Road shortly before 9 a.m. about a domestic dispute, according to Clayton police spokesman Jordan Parrish. Police do not know who made the initial call.
When officers arrived, a gunman began shooting at the officers, Parrish told reporters from the scene. The man first used a handgun before suddenly switching to an semi-automatic rifle, he said.
Police did not return fire and simply took cover, Parrish said, fearing for the safety of other residents in the complex. Parrish confirmed that no one was injured during the interaction.
“Once all fire had ceased from the suspect, the suspect then fled on foot towards the rear of the incident location,” he said. “Our officers then engaged in a foot chase in an attempt to apprehend the suspect.”
Backup officers, a K-9 unit and a police helicopter were called to assist in the pursuit and in setting up a perimeter. The suspect was eventually located with a rifle still in hand and taken into custody “without further incident,” according to Parrish.
“The suspect saw that there was no escape ... he just gave up, along with us giving our verbal commands to be able to tell him to surrender,” he said. Officers did not fire at the man at any point throughout the foot chase.
His name was not released, and it was not immediately clear if he was involved in the initial domestic dispute. Parrish said it is likely the man will be charged with multiple counts of aggravated assault against a police officer, but he could not confirm if other charges were pending.
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