The family of a man shot by Atlanta police wants to thank them — for saving the suspect’s life.
Timothy Hood is accused of carjacking his girlfriend Wednesday, Atlanta police spokesman John Chafee said. After leading police on a chase, the 37-year-old crashed into another car at the intersection of Milton and Lakewood avenues. He then got out and started firing at officers, Chafee said.
An officer fired back, hitting Hood in the shoulder, leg and forearm.
But after the shooting, another officer helped apply a tourniquet to Hood’s bleeding leg, which likely saved his life.
“Nobody wants to see a man die, and that’s what he looked like he was doing,” Officer Mason Mercure told Channel 2 Action News.
Mercure said he never hestitated.
“Really, training kicks in at that moment, humanity kicks in and preservation of life,” he told the news station.
Mercure, a 12-year veteran, said he knew he didn’t have a lot of time because the gunshot injuries were serious.
“We had about two to three minutes to make that happen before someone loses their life when they have that heavy arterial bleeding, and we managed to get it on time,” he said.
Hood was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital and is expected to survive.
Family members told Channel 2 that Hood has been struggling with the death of his grandmother in 2000 and has been arrested multiple times since then.
Hood’s brother said he’s grateful the officer gave his brother a chance to still turn his life around.
“I would love to meet him and shake his hand and tell him we appreciate everything he did,” Timmandre Hood said.
Timothy Hood faces multiple charges, including aggravated assault.
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