An officer and a 58-year-old man were injured Wednesday night after police responded to a shots fired call in south Cobb County, authorities said.
The officer, who was shot in the hand, was treated and released from Grady Memorial Hospital, Cobb County police told Channel 2 Action News.
The suspect, identified by the GBI as James Edward Rucker, was shot in the torso and was taken to WellStar Atlanta Medical Center with serious injuries.
The shooting happened late Wednesday night in the 900 block of Ellison Court, which is near South Gordon Road. According to police, officers responded about 11 p.m. to check out a report of someone firing a handgun outside a home.
"When officers arrived, there wasn't anyone outside," police spokesman Sgt. Wayne Delk told the news station from the scene.
As one officer approached the front door of the residence, another saw Rucker in the doorway and opened fire. GBI spokeswoman Nelly Miles said Rucker was shot multiple times and the officer at the door was shot, too.
“A male in the residence actually answered with a handgun in his hand,” and “may have pointed the weapon” at officers, Delk said.
The GBI, which is investigating the incident, has not confirmed that account but did locate a gun in the doorway of the residence. It is not clear who shot the officer.
This the 16th time the agency has been requested to investigate an officer-involved shooting in 2020.
The Cobb County incident comes the day after a Conyers police officer opened fire on a suspect in a stolen vehicle. The shooting, which occurred after the suspect rammed a patrol car, set off a chase that ended in DeKalb County on Tuesday night, officials said.
The suspect in that incident is still at large, according to the GBI.
RELATED: Suspect at large after police shooting, chase in Conyers
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.
About the Author
