Atlanta police are searching for a man they say fired shots at an off-duty officer who caught him breaking into cars in a parking garage early Saturday.
The off-duty Atlanta officer spotted a man in his early 20s looking into cars at the Spoke apartments on LaFrance Street about 4:30 a.m., Sgt. John Chafee said.
The officer confronted the suspect, who told him he was there visiting a girlfriend. Police said the man could not provide the officer with a name or an apartment number, however.
The officer continued to observe the man and reportedly witnessed him pulling on car door handles in the parking deck.
When he identified himself as an off-duty cop, the suspect tried to walk away, Chafee said.
The officer's brother tried to help him detain the burglary suspect but noticed the other man had a gun, police said. The suspect fired three or four shots in their direction before running from the scene, Chafee said.
Neither the officer nor his brother were injured in the shooting, but police later determined that several cars were broken into and at least one was struck by gunfire.
Surveillance cameras in the parking garage captured images of the suspect. Anyone who recognizes him is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 404-577-8477. Tipsters can remain anonymous and still receive a reward of up to $2,000 for information leading to an arrest and indictment in the case, authorities said.
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