A Henry County police officer shot at a man who allegedly stole a truck and used it to ram a patrol vehicle Saturday afternoon near Stockbridge, officials said.
At about 4:35 p.m., officers said they spotted a stolen truck on Business Center Drive near Piedmont Henry Hospital and I-75. As the officers tried to conduct a traffic stop, the driver, identified as 31-year-old Daniel Jay Waldrop, drove toward the patrol vehicle and rammed into it, according to the GBI.
“The officer shot at Waldrop, but Waldrop was not hit by the gunfire,” the state agency said.
Waldrop then led the officers on a lengthy chase, according to the GBI. He was taken into custody after several metro Atlanta agencies helped to stop the truck during the pursuit.
The state agency said an officer suffered a minor knee injury, though it’s unclear if they were hurt during the chase or when the patrol vehicle was struck.
“We’re not sure exactly how it was sustained at this point,” GBI spokeswoman Nelly Miles said.
Once the investigation is complete, the GBI will turn over its findings to the Henry County District Attorney’s Office for review. It marked the 28th officer-involved shooting the state agency has been asked to investigate this year and the second Saturday.
Earlier that day, Richmond County deputies shot a gunman near an Augusta restaurant after shots had been fired in the area, leaving two bystanders hurt, the GBI stated. The suspect, who was not publicly identified, was arrested and charged with two counts of aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime, officials said.
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