An armed man was shot by a Fulton County sheriff's deputy after he crashed a stolen SUV during a chase and fled on foot. The incident occurred on Tuesday night near I-285 in west Atlanta. 20-year-old Travon Yarborough, who led deputies on the chase, was identified as the driver of the stolen vehicle.
The chase began when Yarborough failed to promptly stop for a traffic offense, which escalated into a high-speed pursuit. "Oh my God I says, this dude is driving like he’s on a high-speed chase," a local resident, who requested anonymity, recounted in a statement obtained by Atlanta News First. The chase came to an abrupt end when Yarborough's vehicle collided with a utility pole on Delmar Lane, after which he reportedly exited holding a firearm and was shot by a deputy.
Fulton County Sheriff Pat Labat addressed the incident in a press conference, later reported by FOX 5 Atlanta, stating, "Our investigators attempted a traffic stop and at that point he jumped out, obviously wrecked behind us." Labat further revealed that Yarborough was expected to survive and be charged with multiple felonies.
Yarborough's charges include acquisition of license plates for purpose to conceal the identification of a motor vehicle, fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer, and possessing a firearm during the commission of a felony, among others. A woman who was also in the SUV at the time of the crash was taken to the hospital for observation, as per the information detailed by Sheriff Labat in the FOX 5 Atlanta report. No deputies were reported to be injured during the incident.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) is currently investigating the shooting. The GBI's involvement comes standard in instances involving use of force by law enforcement officers. Alongside the GBI, a K-9 unit was deployed to search for evidence, and a firearm was retrieved near the site of the encounter. This event marks the 42nd investigation launched by the GBI this year related to shootings involving law enforcement officers.
