Gwinnett County police late Wednesday morning identified a man shot and killed by an officer earlier in the day as 22-year-old Marcus Garner.
The incident happened about 1 a.m. Wednesday when two officers responded to reports of a suspicious vehicle with three people inside that had been at the Lake Sweetwater Apartments on Sweetwater Drive near Lawrenceville for about an hour, Gwinnett police Cpl. Jake Smith said.
Smith said that when the officers approached the suspicious vehicle, two men jumped out and ran, and were pursued by the first responding officer.
The woman driving the car was taken into custody by the second officer.
"The second officer reported that he heard shots fired at the same time the first officer stopped responding to his radio," Smith said in a statement. "The second officer joined the foot chase after securing the driver."
Smith said that as the second officer rounded the corner of a building in the complex, he encountered one of the suspects armed with a gun.
"The suspect was standing over the first officer, who was lying injured on the ground," Smith said. "The second officer fired several shots, striking and disabling the suspect."
Smith said the second officer was able to determine that the injured officer was unconscious and suffering from a head injury, but had not been shot.
That officer and the wounded suspect were taken to Gwinnett Medical Center, where the suspect later died.
The injured officer, whose name has not been released, was treated at the hospital and released, according to Smith. He has been on the force for nine years, while the second officer has been with the department for four years, Smith said.
Police were still searching late Wednesday morning for the second man who ran from the car.
"At this time, detectives do not believe he was involved in the attack on the officer," Smith said.
He said Garner had an outstanding warrant for probation violation, and the woman driving the car, 27-year-old Shena Penrose, had an outstanding warrant for failure to appear in court.
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