Officer Shot by Prisoner With Cop's Gun in Stable Condition

The DeKalb County police officer who was shot by a handcuffed prisoner with the officer’s gun was in stable condition Friday as investigation into the mishap continues.

The shooting happened Thursday night when Detective Phil Christy was escorting prisoner Miguel Benton, 19, from magistrate court Thursday night, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. Benton, an armed robbery suspect, grabbed Christy’s .40-caliber pistol and shot the officer in the thigh and the wrist. Christy’s partner, Detective Eddie Stubbs, shot and killed Benton, Cedric Alexander, the county public safety director, told the newspaper.

Alexander would not say whether Benton’s hands were restrained in front of his body or behind his back or where he was shot.

Christy was listed in stable condition after undergoing surgery at Grady Memorial Hospital, according to DeKalb County Interim Police Chief J. Conroy, reports WGCL TV.

Alexander praised Stubbs for shooting the prisoner before he could hurt anyone else.

“That subject, the robbery suspect could have continued to fire the officers weapon,” Alexander told the TV station. “And fortunately, one of our detectives was able to respond and secure the scene by firing on the subject and making the scene safe for both himself and the officer suffering from severe injuries tonight.”