The man shot and killed by Atlanta police at the Mall West End on Wednesday evening was a fugitive wanted by Mississippi authorities, the GBI said Thursday.
Christopher Calhoun was wanted for drug and car theft charges, Channel 2 Action News said.
GBI spokesman John Bankhead told the AJC that Atlanta police got a tip that the fugitive they were looking for was parked in a Chevrolet Suburban at the mall.
"During officers' attempt to arrest, the fugitive was shot and killed," Bankhead said.
The Fulton County Medical Examiner's office identified the dead man as Christopher Calhoun, 38.
Jackson County, Miss., Sheriff Mike Byrd told the AJC on Thursday that Calhoun had been wanted by his office on multiple vehicle theft and drug-related warrants.
Calhoun had been a fugitive since last September, when deputies went to his home in Escatawpa, Miss., to serve the warrants "and he ran," Byrd said.
The shooting happened around 9 p.m. Wednesday in the parking lot of the mall, which is just west of downtown in the West End area.
"I just saw the truck at the front and then the police pulled in, I think maybe three, and they jumped out and yelled freeze," witness Andrew Smith told Channel 2. "And a little after that I heard the shots and people started running towards us."
"Due to the number of officers involved, the size and complexity of the crime scene and the fact that it resulted in a fatality, we have asked the GBI to assist to ensure an objective and thorough investigation," Atlanta police spokesman Officer John Chafee said in a statement sent to the AJC.
Bankhead asked that anyone who witnessed the shooting contact the GBI.
About the Author
