A City of Lilburn police officer shot a shoplifting suspect Monday afternoon at a Family Dollar store.
The officer, whose name was not released, approached the suspect and the suspect began to fight with the officer, Lilburn police said. The officer attempted to use his city-issued Taser, but the suspect took it from him. The officer then pulled out his service weapon and shot the suspect in the chest and face, police said.
“This is the last thing we would ever want to happen,” Lilburn police Chief Bruce Hedley told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The suspect, whose name was not released, was transported to the hospital. The suspect underwent surgery and was in critical but stable condition with injuries not believed to be life-threatening, Hedley said.
“The preliminary investigation shows the officer was defending his own life and his decision to use deadly force was justified,” Lilburn police Chief Bruce Hedley said in a news release Monday night.
The GBI is assisting Lilburn police with the investigation.
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