15-year-old, officer shot during transport in McDonough, GBI says
A 15-year-old boy was shot after he grabbed a probation officer’s gun and shot her during a transport in McDonough on Wednesday afternoon, authorities said.
The GBI was called to investigate the shooting, which involved the teen and two Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice probation officers.
The teen was handcuffed inside the transport vehicle when he grabbed the steering wheel and the gun of the female officer who was driving, the GBI said in a news release.
He fired one shot, hitting the officer in the hand, while a male probation officer in the backseat fired and struck the minor, the release said. The entire incident happened within the vehicle near the RaceTrac gas station on Ga. 20, and the vehicle ran off the road during the incident.
The teen was being taken from a group home in Macon to a youth detention center in Henry County, the release said.
McDonough police Maj. Kyle Helgerson told AJC.com that his officers responded to the incident but were not involved in the shooting.
The female officer was treated and released from the hospital, and the teen is at Grady Memorial Hospital, the release said. His condition was not released.
It was the 82nd officer-involved shooting the GBI has investigated this year.
#Media: The #GBI is responding to an officer involved shooting investigation at the request of the McDonough Police Department. We are working to gather details. @NAmmonsGBIPIO pic.twitter.com/Dy0sw03LcM
— Nelly Miles (@NMilesGBIPIO) November 21, 2018
In 2017, there were 88 officer-involved shootings.
RELATED: Georgia on pace to double deadly officer-involved shootings in 2018
OVER THE LINE: An investigation into police shootings in Georgia
About the Authors
Zachary Hansen, a Georgia native, covers economic development and commercial real estate for the AJC. He's been with the newspaper since 2018 and enjoys diving into complex stories that affect people's lives.
