An incident late Saturday afternoon resulted in an East Point police officer shooting a woman who was reported as being in distress and armed with a knife. According to FOX 5 Atlanta, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation is now heading the inquiry into the encounter, which occurred at the Stonetree Apartments on Stone Road.
The police were alerted to a situation involving 27-year-old Trauneycia Langley, a local East Point resident. She had reportedly ingested narcotics and was attempting self-harm. "When they arrived, the police said they tried de-escalation tactics, but Langley became aggressive, grabbed a knife and threatened them," FOX 5 Atlanta reported. It was after she allegedly lunged at the officers with the weapon that she was shot in the lower torso.
Langley received immediate medical attention following the shooting and was subsequently transported to Grady Memorial Hospital's emergency room for further treatment. The condition of Langley has not been made public since the incident took place.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution details that, before the shooting, attempts were made to deescalate the situation, including an unsuccessful deployment of a Taser. Upon becoming "increasingly agitated and combative,” according to the GBI, "Langley grabbed a knife and charged towards the officer," which led to the officer firing their handgun. This mark's the GBI's 14th officer-involved shooting investigation of 2025, a slight increase from the 12 such cases they had been asked to investigate by the same time last year.
The GBI is investigating the incident and reviewing the officers' actions. This highlights the need for reform in handling mental health crises and police encounters.
