An unidentified suspect who shot an Alpharetta police officer three times Friday night was killed following a high-speed chase, closing Ga. 400 southbound for several hours, a police spokesman said.
The officer is in stable condition at North Fulton Hospital and is expected to recover, said Alpharetta Police Officer George Gordon. A bystander shot by the suspect as he fled down Ga. 400 was taken to the same hospital and is expected to be okay, Gordon said.
"This individual, for whatever reason, decided to shoot a police officer," Gordon said. "We're grateful our officer is going to be okay, from all indications."
After the second shooting, the suspect --- being pursued by officers from multiple police agencies, crashed just north of the Northridge Road exit, Gordon said. The man fled from his black Isuzu truck, shooting at the officers, who returned fire and killed the suspect just off the highway. No other officers were injured, Gordon said.
All southbound lanes of Ga. 400 were expected to remain closed into the early morning hours, police said.
The chain of events began around 8:30 p.m. Friday on Main Street in Alpharetta, where the suspect was pulled over in the parking lot of a Christian bookstore for a tag violation, Gordon said. The officer, wearing a safety vest, was shot as he approached the vehicle and the suspect took off down Highway 9 to Holcomb Bridge Road.
The suspect made a couple of U-turns, finally returning to Ga. 400, where the pursuit ended about 30 minutes after it began.
Gordon said the GBI has been asked to assist the investigation.
Copyright 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
