Gwinnett County employees get 5% raises; first responders get 8%

September 22, 2023 Atlanta: A 16-year-old boy was shot in the leg Friday, Sept. 22, 2023 after he opened fire on a Gwinnett County officer during a foot pursuit and the officer fired back, according to police. The teenager, who was not publicly identified, was taken to a hospital and is expected to face criminal charges upon his release, Gwinnett police spokesperson Cpl. Michele Pihera said from the scene. The officer was not injured, she said. Police were called to the teen’s apartment in the 1400 block of Chase Lane in the Norcross area shortly after 6:30 a.m. His mother said the boy had a handgun and was “possibly under the influence of drugs,” Pihera said, and that she was concerned for her safety. As police arrived, the mother pointed out the son in the parking lot, and an officer began to follow him. “As the officer was rounding one of the apartment buildings, there was a small foot pursuit,” Pihera told reporters from the scene. “The officer was telling the subject to put his weapon down, and at one point the subject turned around and fired multiple shots at the officer. The officer returned fire, striking him in the leg.” Pihera said it appeared the boy was struck once and may also have suffered a graze wound. A SWAT medic arriving at the scene helped to apply a tourniquet before the boy was taken to a hospital, she said. The officer involved in the shooting was taken to a police precinct for questioning as part of the department’s administrative investigation. Police found one gun on the 16-year-old and located another nearby, according to Pihera. She acknowledged that while officers are trained in firearm use, certain calls like domestic incidents can be unpredictable. “Certainly, we don’t expect to utilize any kind of deadly force on a call, but unfortunately the officer had to utilize his firearm,” she said. (John Spink / John.Spink@ajc.com)