A man wanted for armed robbery died last night after exchanging fire with police in Gwinnett County. The encounter, which occurred on Jimmy Carter Boulevard near Peachtree Industrial Boulevard, escalated when the suspect attempted to flee from a routine traffic stop.
According to Atlanta News First, the confrontation began around 6:36 p.m. when a Gwinnett County officer pulled over the driver in the parking lot of a Waffle House. The suspect's red Jeep SUV was connected to a series of robberies in the area. Sgt. Michele Pihera, a Gwinnett police spokesperson, revealed that the man harbored several outstanding warrants in Hall County, including armed robbery charges. As the officer commanded the suspect to exit the vehicle, he instead drove off, shooting at the officer and striking a Waffle House window in the process.
The drama unfolded further when a detective, stationed in an unmarked car, turned on his vehicle’s blue lights as the suspect approached. According to Sgt. Pihera, the suspect fired at the unmarked car, sending a bullet through its trunk and into the driver’s seat, narrowly missing the officer inside.
A chase ensued onto Jimmy Carter Boulevard, where the suspect spun out of control. Facing the patrol car, the suspect opened fire once more, prompting the officer to ram the fleeing vehicle. "The officer used his vehicle to strike the SUV, then exited and fired multiple rounds at the driver, hitting him an unknown number of times," Pihera said in an interview obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Despite efforts to provide aid, the man died at the scene. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has been asked to take over the case.
"We’re very fortunate that nobody was hurt apart from the suspect," Pihera told Atlanta News First, acknowledging the potential danger to the nearby community. Nakeisha Whittington, a store manager at an American Deli close to where the incident took place, described the ordeal as "tragic," capping a hazardous night that put local residents and officers in the line of fire.
