A man was killed by police in Athens on Sunday morning after he climbed out of a stolen vehicle holding a long gun and began making demands of officers, authorities said.
Juan Joseph Daniele Castellano, 38, of Athens, was shot when he would not put down his weapon, according to the GBI. Castellano was a suspect in a carjacking and armed robbery that occurred in the area of Walker Park minutes before he was confronted by Athens-Clarke County police officers.
“Additionally, he is suspected to have threatened several park attendees, including children, with a firearm,” GBI spokeswoman Nelly Miles said in a news release.
Athens-Clarke police received multiple 911 calls around 10:40 a.m. concerning a man with a gun at the park, according to department spokesman Geof Gilland.
“As officers were responding, we received an additional call that the male had carjacked a vehicle at gunpoint inside the park,” Gilland said. “Officers arrived and made contact with the subject inside the carjacked vehicle. The subject got out of the vehicle with a gun and began making demands.”
The officers told the man multiple times to put the gun down before he was shot, he said. No officers or parkgoers were injured by the gunfire, but Castellano died at the scene.
It was the second time in 24 hours police were called to the northeast Athens park about a man with a gun. Officers responded to the 500 block of Vine Street shortly before 5:30 p.m. Saturday to check out a report of “a male walking around with a long gun attempting to get into altercations with strangers,” Gilland said.
They were still searching for the man when they got another call from inside the park about someone shooting at a woman inside her vehicle. The woman was not injured and was able to get away to meet up with police.
“Officers closed the park and conducted an extensive search on foot, as well as utilizing K-9 and drones, Gilland said. “ACCPD was unable to locate the subject.”
Gilland could not confirm Monday if the suspect in Saturday’s shooting was Castellano, citing the ongoing GBI investigation.
It is the 34th officer-involved shooting the agency has been asked to investigate this year and the 16th to end in death. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution also tracks officer-involved shootings that don’t involve the GBI, and those numbers sometimes differ from the GBI’s tally.
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