Avondale Estates Police Release Details of Friday's Officer-Involved Shooting

The Avondale Estates Police Department has released a statement about the chain of events leading to an officer-involved shooting Friday.

According to the police department's release, the suspect ran a red light at Covington Highway and Kensington Road around 5:30 p.m. Friday at a high rate of speed "and with total disregard of other traffic."

An Avondale Estates police officer at the intersection activated his emergency equipment and proceeded down Kensington Road into a residential area trying to find the vehicle, the release states:

Shortly thereafter, the officer observed downed power lines, a broken power pole and a vehicle that had apparently lost control and slid across a yard before striking another vehicle in an adjacent yard and coming to rest.

The officer approached the violator’s vehicle while commanding the driver several times to remain in the vehicle.  The driver disregarded the commands, continued towards the officer in an agitated manner and assaulted the officer; during which time the officer discharged his duty weapon one time, striking the violator in the chest. 

It was later discovered that the vehicle was reported stolen to DeKalb police, according to the release.

The driver, whose name is being confirmed and next of kin notified, was taken to Grady Hospital and later pronounced dead.

Avondale Estates police say the officer is a ten-year veteran of the department. He was treated at DeKalb Medical for minor injuries and observation, then released.

He is on administrative leave while the police department, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the DeKalb County District Attorney's Office conduct an internal and on-going investigation of the incident, the release states.

Check back with Decatur-Avondale Estates Patch for updates.