Gwinnett Police Officer Shoots Man After Chase

LAWRENCEVILLE, GA — A Gwinnett County Police officer on Friday shot a man after the suspect fired shots at officers during a chase, authorities say.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is looking into the incident, which started in north Gwinnett and ended in Hall County.

According to police spokeswoman Cpl. Michele Pihera, an officer recognized a man with active felony warrants for his arrest on Buford Highway near Hamlton Mill Road. The officer tried to stop the man's car, a purple Ford Escort, but he refused to stop and fled, leading officers on a chase.

During the chase, the man pointed a gun out of his car window and fired toward officers, Pihera said.

The chase ended on Friendship Road near Highway 211 in the city of Braselton. As the man was driving on the wrong side of the road and approaching oncoming traffic, an officer performed a PIT maneuver, causing the Escort to spin out.

After his car spun around, the man pulled a gun, Pihera said. One of the officers fired at the man through his driver's side car window.

It was unclear how many times the officer fired, but the suspect suffered injuries to his jaw and hand. Pihera said it's unclear whether the officer's shot hit the suspect, or if the man injured himself.

The man was taken to a local hospital, where he was listed Friday in stable condition. The GBI, as is customary in officer-involved shootings, will look into the case. Agents were on the scene of the shooting Friday.

Photo courtesy Gwinnett County Police Department