Off-Duty Atlanta Police Officer Stops Gunman in Warming Center
Key Highlights
- An argument outside Atlanta's Central Park Recreation Center escalated into gunfire involving an off-duty officer.
- The suspect, Antonio Wooten, was hit and injured, as was a bystander; both were hospitalized with unspecified conditions.
- The officer fired his weapon but did not hit Wooten; Wooten sustained a broken arm from falling during the incident.
ATLANTA -- An Atlanta Police Department officer working an off-duty security assignment opened fire during a shooting outside a city warming center in northeast Atlanta, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
The incident occurred Jan. 15 at the Central Park Recreation Center in the 400 block of Merritt Avenue, which was operating as a warming center, reports WAGA-TV.
Investigators said an argument escalated outside the facility, during which 37-year-old Antonio Wooten allegedly produced a handgun and fired at others involved in the dispute.
According to the GBI, Wooten struck one man with whom he was arguing and a second man who was a bystander. Both victims were transported to Grady Memorial Hospital. Their conditions were not released.
An Atlanta police officer working an off-duty security detail at the recreation center observed the confrontation and fired at Wooten, investigators said. The officer did not strike Wooten, but Wooten was injured when he fell to the ground during the incident. He was treated at Grady Memorial Hospital for a broken arm. The officer was not injured.
The GBI is leading the investigation into the officer’s use of force, consistent with protocol for officer-involved shootings in Georgia. Once the investigation is complete, the case will be submitted to the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office for review.
The Atlanta Police Department is conducting a separate investigation into the initial shooting that injured the two men. No charges or additional details were announced as of Thursday afternoon.
The incident underscores operational and security challenges at emergency warming centers during periods of increased demand, particularly when off-duty officers are used to supplement safety staffing.