Georgia kidnapping suspect killed by police after chase, authorities say

Police officers in Georgia fatally shot a kidnapping suspect early Tuesday after the man led them on a vehicle chase and a foot pursuit, authorities said.

The shooting happened in the city of Decatur, just east of Atlanta, after a chase that started about 10 miles to the north in the Atlanta suburb of Chamblee, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said.

The GBI is investigating the shooting at the request of the Chamblee Police Department, whose officers fired the shots, the GBI and Chamblee Police said. The name of the slain suspect was not released.

The chain of events started when a 911 caller in Chamblee reported just after 11 p.m. Monday that a friend was being kidnapped by an unknown man, the GBI said in a news release.

“Officers were informed that the man was armed with a handgun,” the GBI said.

Chamblee police officers received a description of the man’s car, as well as the clothing worn by the kidnapping victim. Officers then found the car in Chamblee and tried to stop it, but the vehicle sped away, according to the GBI.

Police pursued the car into Decatur, where the car stopped. The man got out of the car and ran onto railroad tracks, the GBI said.

“During the foot pursuit, officers attempted to tase the man, but it was ineffective,” the GBI said.

Chamblee officers met the suspect on the railroad tracks, and the officers fired their guns, striking him, the GBI said, without saying what transpired between the encounter on the tracks and the gunshots.

The suspect was taken to a hospital in serious condition and later died, the Chamblee Police Department said in a statement.

A handgun was “located on scene near the man,” the GBI said.

CNN asked the GBI how close the gun was to the suspect, whether the man was holding the gun when the shooting happened, and whether the man was threatening the officers with the gun. GBI spokesperson Nelly Miles responded only that the bureau was still actively investigating the case.

The kidnapping victim, identified only as a male, is safe, the GBI said. Chamblee Police said the victim suffered minor injuries.

It was not clear whether the victim was inside the vehicle during the pursuit.

Officers sustained minor injuries during the pursuit, the GBI said, without elaborating.

The shooting comes as police officers’ use-of-force guidelines nationwide are under scrutiny.

The GBI said it intends to turn the results of its investigation to the DeKalb County district attorney’s office for review when it is finished.