Woman killed in Atlanta police shootout had long arrest record

According to county jail records, Christian was most recently arrested by East Point police in March for selling marijuana, and by Atlanta police in January for shoplifting. Three of her prior arrests involved charges of auto theft. In two of those arrests, she was also charged with obstructing officers, jail records show.

Steps away from the Underground Atlanta police precinct, and within a block of the Fulton County courthouse and administration building where Brian Nichols killed three people just over 10 years ago, officers shot and killed Christian after she allegedly fired shots from the backseat of a patrol car about 5 p.m.

It all began when Christian, who police believed had stolen a car, was put into the back of a patrol car, Atlanta police said Thursday night. But somehow, and it wasn’t known how, Christian had a gun and fired shots at two officers, Major Darin Schierbaum said. Officers returned fire, striking Christian at least twice, Schierbaum said. No officers were injured.

The sound of gunshots was startling to those near the downtown intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and Pryor Street just as the afternoon rush hour was beginning.

Valencia Riden said she heard six or seven shots as she approached the intersection, but wasn’t sure where the shots were fired. And she didn’t stop to ask.

As some witnesses took cover, others downtown found themselves stranded as officers quickly closed roads in the area and an Underground parking deck. Most had no idea what had happened, but there was no mistaken what they’d heard.

“We heard three shots,” said Tressa Madden, who was trying to cross the street at the time. “We heard three more shots and everybody ran back across the street.”

Madden saw an officer fire a shot, but she wasn’t sure at whom he was firing.

Witnesses watched as officers pulled Christian from the patrol car and administered CPR. The woman was then loaded into the back of an ambulance and driven to Grady Memorial Hospital, where she later died.

Officers surrounded the patrol car, its windows shattered, where gunfire was exchanged for the investigation into what happened.

At a time when the use of deadly force by police is facing increasing scrutiny, Atlanta police began releasing details about the incident within the hour, leading up to a news conference shortly before 7 p.m.

“Atlanta police commanders wanted to release information as quickly as it could be confirmed,” police spokesman Sgt. Greg Lyon said. “We owe it to the people we serve to be as transparent as we can in these types of situations.”

Schierbaum said he also couldn’t confirm whether the woman was searched and handcuffed prior to being put in the back of the patrol car. The patrol car’s front and back windshields had gaping holes from gunshots while officers investigated the shooting.

Some roads in the area were temporarily closed during the investigation to give officers space. A parking deck near Underground was also temporary closed. Later Thursday evening, officers cleared the scene, re-opening roads and the parking deck.

The names of the officers involved were not released.

Police officials have also not said if Christian was under arrest when the incident occurred or if she was frisked before being put in the back of the patrol car. However, Channel 2 reported that Christian was handcuffed before she was placed in the vehicle.

“At this time,” Atlanta police Sgt. Greg Lyon told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Friday morning, “we are not releasing additional info about the incident.”

Chief George Turner is scheduled to discuss the fatal shooting at a 2:30 p.m. press conference at police headquarters, Lyon said.

The incident was the department’s second officer-involved shooting this year.

Yuric J. Ussery, 22, was shot and wounded while fleeing police April 8 after two officers, who were part of a crime-suppression unit, tried to stop him for jaywalking in the Mechanicsville neighborhood. Instead, Ussery fled and the pursing officers said they shot him after he pointed a gun at them.

There were nine shootings involving Atlanta police officers in 2014, department spokeswoman Elizabeth Espy said.

— Staff writers Ty Tagami, Rhonda Cook and David Wickert contributed to this article.