Yesterday morning, an off-duty Atlanta police officer found themselves forced to defend their home on the 1600 block of Hollywood Road NW when a suspected burglar attempted a break-in. Atlanta police say that the confrontation unfolded around 5 a.m., resulting in the officer discharging a firearm toward the intruder, as FOX 5 Atlanta reported.
The suspect, who was reportedly in the act of breaking into the apartment, was not struck by gunfire but was injured after taking a fall, the consequences of which the suspect sustained non-life-threatening injuries before being taken into custody, and then to a local hospital, "The victim retrieved a firearm and shot towards the suspect," APD officials said, according to Atlanta News First.
Police have not released the names of either the officer or the suspect involved as the investigation continues, technicians arrived on the scene soon after to piece together the story and determine precisely how events played out in the Hollywood Road apartment.
While the suspect's attempt to unlawly enter the home was thwarted, and despite the potential danger faced by the officer, the incident raises questions once more about the very real risks law enforcement personnel face, even off the clock, investigators are working to understand the lead-up to this attempted burglary and subsequent shooting as details may yield further insight into the prevalent concerns over home invasions in the metropolitan area.
