No Injuries After Vehicle Theft Leads To Police Shooting In Decatur

DECATUR, GA — There were no injuries after a trooper had to fire his weapon Wednesday morning while authorities attempted to recover a stolen Jeep Grand Cherokee near the McAfee Road/Columbia Drive intersection, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

Around 9:15 a.m., Georgia State Patrol troopers were assisting Atlanta Police with finding the stolen Jeep. The GBI said an "air tag" indicated the Jeep's last known location was Columbia Drive near Interstate 20.

Troopers found the Jeep at the McAfee/Columbia intersection and tried to box in the vehicle; however, the driver hit the accelerator and ran into the front passenger side of a trooper's vehicle, the GBI said.

While troopers were trying to take the three people inside of the Jeep into custody, the Jeep rolled backwards. The GBI said a trooper then fired his weapon, hitting the driver’s side rear tire.

The three people ran, but the GBI said they were immediately caught.

"A handgun was recovered on the ground near the Jeep, but it was not used in this incident," the GBI said in a news release.

The case file will be given to the DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office for review once an investigation is completed.

This is the 64th shooting involving an officer the GBI has been asked to investigate this year.