A vehicle pursuit through northwest Atlanta ended in gunfire Wednesday when a 19-year-old driver fired on a state trooper and the trooper fired back, officials said.
The driver, identified as Montrez Ballard of Douglasville, was injured and taken to a hospital. The trooper was not injured, according to the GBI, which is investigating at the request of the Georgia State Patrol.
The state trooper was conducting traffic enforcement in Atlanta when Ballard, driving a black Nissan Maxima, refused to yield to an emergency vehicle, the GBI said in a press release. A trooper then attempted to stop the car, but the agency said Ballard sped away, leading to the pursuit.
Troopers were eventually able to disable the Nissan using a PIT maneuver. The car then hit a stop sign, leaving it inoperable, one mile north of Westside Reservoir Park at the intersection of St. Paul Avenue and 1st Street.
The GBI said Ballard and the trooper exchanged gunfire when Ballard try to run from the crash. According to online jail records, he is facing multiple charges, including aggravated assault on a police officer, fleeing or attempting to elude and reckless driving.
Wednesday’s incident marked the 46th officer-involved shooting the GBI has been asked to investigate this year. At this time last year, the GBI had investigated 62 such shootings.
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