New Details Released In Shooting Death Of Armed Robbery Suspect

JOHNS CREEK, GA — New details have been released in the officer-involved shooting of a man wanted in connection to an armed robbery in Johns Creek. The Police Department has released the incident report of the armed robbery, which was reported around 7:34 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 20 at Kroger at 8465 Holcomb Bridge Road.

Officers arrived at the grocery store and spoke with manager, who allowed police to review surveillance footage of the incident. According to the report, the officer noticed a white male wearing a dark jacket, gray pants, a brown-brimmed hat and a long, bushy, black beard walk into the store and approach the self checkout machines.

"He started to pace around nervously," the incident report states. "At that point, an employee...approached the suspect and started to talk to him."

At that moment, the suspect lifted up his shirt and pulled what appeared to be a weapon from his waistline.

"The male then told him this was a stickup and told him to open the cash register," the report adds.

The employee told the suspect he could not open the registers and pointed to another employee. The surveillance cameras show the suspect approach another register and return to the self checkout area with the female employee, who used her code to open the register. The footage shows the male suspect reaching into the register and removing the cash before leaving the store, the report adds.

According to the police report, a witness said he observed the suspect run out of the store and get into a dark-colored station wagon parked in the fire lane. The vehicle left the parking lot, and the witness called 9-1-1 to inform police he was following the vehicle. The witness pursued the vehicle until it reached the Walmart parking lot at 5025 Winters Chapel Road in Dunwoody.

Meanwhile back at the store, Johns Creek police were informed that the suspect was tracked to the big box retailer and could hear reports of shots fired being communicated on the radio. According to Dunwoody police, when the suspect was confronted by officers, he did not "comply with their verbal commands and exited the vehicle."

"Fearing for his safety and the safety of others, an officer fired one shot, striking the suspect," the department added in its press release.

The suspect, identified as 44-year-old Jason Lappe, was transported to Grady Memorial Hospital where he died, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said. That agency is handling the investigation into the officer-involved shooting.

Dunwoody police said the officer involved in the fatal shooting has been placed on paid administrative leave, which is in line with its departmental procedures.

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