An unknown male suspect was shot and killed by Cobb County police in Georgia Friday afternoon, after trying to evade officers during a traffic stop. According to FOX 5 Atlanta, a massive police presence was seen at a Chevron gas station off Old Floyd Road and Fontaine Road in Mableton, near Veterans Memorial Highway.
In a Friday afternoon press conference, police said they were alerted to a truck with a stolen license plate around 2:40 p.m. When officers tried to pull the driver over in the gas station parking lot, the suspect tried to drive away, striking a pedestrian’s car and several Cobb County Police cars.
Subsequently, several officers fired at the truck, and the driver was hit by gunfire.
“We were filling up like a normal Friday afternoon, and who knew all this was going to happen?” witness Alexis Rivera told Channel 2 Action News.
“We were filling up at pump seven, and we saw a box truck with two or three cop cars right behind him.”
“Once we were pulling out of the gas station, that’s when we heard five or six gunshots. Once we turned around, we [saw] lots of smoke. I think half of the gas station was covered in smoke.”
The crash set the box truck on fire but firefighters were quickly able to put it out. The man was taken to the hospital where he died.
“The suspect attempted to flee from the traffic stop, subsequently striking a vehicle, a citizen’s vehicle, in addition to several marked patrol cars. All officers involved have been placed on routine administrative leave pending further investigation,” Sgt. Smith said.
Police have not yet released the man’s identity, pending official identification. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) has since taken over the investigation.
The story is developing. Check back for updates.