The two car theft suspects shot by an off-duty Atlanta police officer in the middle of a busy Buckhead intersection Thursday afternoon were juveniles, authorities said Friday.
Atlanta police spokeswoman Kim Jones told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the names of the suspects will not be released because they were both 16 years old.
The two were allegedly involved in a crime spree that spanned from downtown to Buckhead, only ending when an officer fired shots at the suspects, who then crashed a stolen van into a garage and tried to run.
The two didn’t get very far before being arrested by Atlanta police officers. But the crimes made a mess of the already hectic afternoon rush hour near Lenox Square, according to police.
The crimes remained under investigation Thursday night, Maj. Adam Lee III said. But officers believe it began when a van was stolen in Midtown, Lee said.
While the van’s owner was reporting it stolen to police, a security guard at Lenox reported two juvenile attempting to break into cars at the mall, Lee said.
“All we know is that they were in a stolen vehicle from downtown,” Lee said. “It looks like they went to Lenox Square at some point and were suspected of breaking in vehicles while they’re in a stolen car.”
Officers got a description of the stolen van and alerted other officers in the area to be on the lookout for it, Lee said. An off-duty sergeant, who was directing traffic at the intersection of Lenox and Piedmont roads, spotted the van and attempted to stop traffic to allow other officers to attempt a traffic stop.
But the van did not stop and instead continued through the intersection toward the uniformed officer, Lee said.
“That vehicle came toward him and he ended up firing multiple rounds towards the vehicle,” Lee said.
The vehicle continued through the intersection and drove through the gate of the Cambridge at Buckhead apartment complex, according to police. Once in the complex, the van crashed into a garage, causing significant damage.
“They were both in the vehicle when it hit the garage door,” Lee said.
The two juveniles inside the van tried to run, but were quickly apprehended, Lee said.
Both suspects had been shot — one in the hand and the other in the shoulder — but neither of the injuries were life-threatening, Lee said. The juveniles were taken by ambulance to Grady Memorial Hospital and were in stable condition Thursday night.
Police have not said what charges the two will face.
The officer involved in the shooting, who is a supervisor, will be placed on paid administrative leave during the investigation. He was not injured.
Piedmont Road was temporarily blocked northbound, as well as several side streets. The intersection was cleared just after 7 p.m.
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