A College Park police officer is recovering after getting shot in the neck Saturday morning while chasing a murder suspect, authorities said.
The chase began shortly after 11:45 a.m. when a license plate reader spotted a vehicle driven by 33-year-old Edward Lee Cherry and alerted police, city spokesman Gerald Walker told AJC.com.
Cherry was wanted in connection with a homicide that occurred Friday evening in Clayton County, according to the GBI.
The chase continued toward Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport and involved officers from several jurisdictions, authorities said.
At some point, Cherry exited his vehicle and allegedly shot at police, GBI spokeswoman Natalie Ammons said. Two College Park officers returned fire and a third officer was shot.
“(The) fleeing suspect was engaged near the intersection of Toffie Terrace and North Outer Loop Road,” Walker said. “It was during this encounter that College Park Sgt. Charles Landrum suffered a gunshot wound to the neck.”
Police said the officer’s injury doesn’t appear to be serious. He was taken to Atlanta Medical Center, where doctors removed the bullet. He is expected to remain there overnight for observation.
After the shooting, Cherry got back into his vehicle and fled the scene, Ammons said. Georgia State Patrol troopers, College Park police and officers from the Hapeville Police Department pursued the vehicle to the 1200 block of Virginia Avenue in Atlanta, where Cherry wrecked and was subsequently arrested.
A handgun was found at the wreck scene and police discovered that Cherry had been shot in the arm, authorities said. He was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital before being released and transported to the East Point Jail.
It wasn’t immediately clear Saturday afternoon whether Landrum was shot by the Cherry or another officer involved in the chase.
The incident marks the 28th officer-involved shooting the GBI has been asked to investigate this year.
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.
— Please return to AJC.com for updates.
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