A man implicated in a weekend shooting spree and the officer accused of killing him were identified Tuesday by Chamblee police.
Authorities said Chamblee police Sgt. Brian Calamease shot Paul David Johnson II in the chest Sunday morning after Johnson was involved in four shootings.
It all started shortly after 1 a.m. outside the Plaza Del Sol on New Peachtree Road, where a man was struck in the hand during a drive-by shooting.
The victim told police he was sitting in his car when a man, driving a gray sedan, pulled up and shot him, Chamblee police Officer Lt. Gerald Thomson wrote in his report.
The victim told police he did not know Johnson or why he opened fire. A witness confirmed a description of the 38-year-old and said he was laughing when he shot the man, according to the report.
About 10 minutes later, police said Johnson started shooting at passing cars from the parking lot of the QuikTrip on Chamblee Tucker Road. But by the time officers arrived, police said Johnson ran toward Quantum Lane, where he continued firing.
As officers closed in, Calamease one shot at Johnson, with one of the bullets hitting the suspect in the chest, according to the report.
Johnson, whose last known address was in Dallas, died before an ambulance could take him to a hospital.
A Hi-Point gun was found in the pavement about 15 feet from where Johnson was found, according to the report.
In a statement, Chamblee police Assistant Chief Mike Beller said Calamease shot out of fear for officers’ “safety and the safety of the public at large.”
Calamease has been placed on administrative leave in accordance with the Chamblee police department policy.
The GBI is investigating.
The shooting wasn’t Johnson’s first run-in with police. In 2011, he pleaded guilty to felony entering auto and possession of a tool and a misdemeanor obstruction charge, according to DeKalb County court records. He was sentenced to five years, with one year to serve, and ordered to complete 104 hours of community service.
Calamease, a 19-year law enforcement veteran, has been with the Chamblee Police Department since 2014. He was previously with the DeKalb County Police Department in various roles, including their patrol and criminal investigations units.
— Staff writer Ellen Eldridge contributed to this article.
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