An Atlanta store owner shot a man who was breaking into his store Wednesday morning, police said.
Atlanta police spokesman John Chafee said officers responded around 3 a.m. to an alarm at the A&A Grocery at 2535 Center St. in northwest Atlanta. They discovered that someone had broken through the rear wall and burglarized the store, Chafee said.
The owner of the store came to the scene and temporarily covered the hole, he said.
Around 6:15 a.m., officers were called back to the store on a report of a person shot. The store owner told police that while he was inside the store he heard noises coming from the back and discovered that someone was forcing his way into the store. The owner fired at the suspect with a handgun.
"The owner then witnessed the suspect flee from the store along with a second person," Chafee said.
When police arrived they found a 23-year-old man with a gunshot wound to the chest.
The man was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital in stable condition. He was charged with criminal damage to property and burglary, Chafee said.
The store owner has not been charged.
"The store owner felt that it was obvious he was inside the store and that the person forcing their way into the store must know he was inside," Chafee said. "The owner feared that the person was entering the store with the intent to harm him."
The names of the suspect and store owner were not immediately released.
About the Author
