Officers shoot fleeing suspect who wouldn’t drop gun, Columbus police say
Columbus police say an officer shot a fleeing suspect Monday when he refused to drop a gun after they chased him down on foot.
The suspect was 16 years old, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation reported Monday night.
In a news release the Columbus Police Department issued Monday evening, neither the suspect nor the officer involved were named. Police typically do not identify juvenile suspects unless they are charged as adults.
Police said they started looking for the boy Sunday, when he pointed a gun at an officer who pulled him over for a traffic stop. The suspect fled when the officer retrieved his own weapon, the department said, so warrants were issued for his arrest.
When officers saw the suspect’s vehicle again at 11:36 a.m. Monday, he fled, causing a hit-and-run crash, police said.
After he abandoned his automobile in the 7700 block of Veterans Parkway and ran, officers saw him in the 7600 block of Kayne Boulevard, police said. He did not comply when ordered to drop his gun, and an officer shot him, they said.
A news release Monday night from the GBI, which is investigating the shooting, stated: “The officer fired her handgun, hitting the person in the leg. Police administered first aid and the person was taken to a local hospital in Columbus for treatment.”
Said Columbus police: “The suspect’s injuries are not considered to be life-threatening. He was arrested and taken into custody.”
Police said the teen’s charges so far include:
- Aggravated assault on a police officer.
- Using a firearm to commit a crime.
- Having a gun while under age 18.
- Fleeing from police.
- Running a stop sign.
The GBI said anyone with information on the case may contact the agency’s Columbus office at 706-565-7888 or submit anonymous tips at 1-800-597-8477.
When the GBI investigation is finished, a report will be filed with the Chattahoochee Judicial Circuit district attorney for review, the agency said.
This story was originally published December 20, 2021 at 6:11 PM.