A police chase and shooting in Midtown kicked off Tuesday night after two drivers were involved in a fender bender, and one pulled out a gun, authorities said.
The alleged gunman, 31-year-old Jacob Peter Horn, was arrested after a winding foot chase in the area of Ponce de Leon and Penn avenues. According to Atlanta police, Horn was not injured when an officer fired shots at him.
A formal internal investigation is underway regarding the use of force, police spokesman Officer Steve Avery said.
Officers first became involved about 10:25 p.m. after a woman flagged them down to report an accident, Avery said. She told police that Horn backed into her vehicle at the intersection of Boulevard and Ponce de Leon Avenue before leaving the scene.
The woman kept driving to her workplace near Penn Avenue, but Horn followed her there, Avery said.
“The suspect got out of his vehicle and charged at (the victim) with a handgun in his hand,” he said in a statement. "(She) drove away and flagged down officers a short distance away.”
According to Avery, other witnesses also saw Horn with a gun in his hand. He was still in the area when the woman pointed him out, and police attempted to detain him for the first time.
Horn returned to his vehicle, only to run away again when the officer approached a second time, Avery said. Bystanders helped guide pursuing officers to find Horn, he said, and they attempted to arrest the man again.
“The suspect refused to comply with the officer’s orders to surrender,” Avery said. “The suspect then reached into his pocket, pulled his hand out abruptly, and pointed an object at the officer. Believing Mr. Horn was armed and dangerous, the officer fired his weapon at the suspect but did not strike him.”
Horn took off running for a third time, according to police. He was captured while attempting to enter a private residence and was eventually taken into custody after some resistance, Avery said.
A handgun was not recovered. Horn, who police believed to be under the influence of drugs, was arrested on charges of aggravated assault and obstruction and taken to the detention center at Grady Memorial Hospital.
He was booked into the Fulton County Jail on Wednesday morning after being released from the hospital.
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