Robbery suspect seriously injured after encounter with DeKalb County police identified
DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. - Gunfire erupted at a DeKalb County shopping center Wednesday morning just feet from a preschool. Investigators say a robbery suspect is in the hospital after an officer-involved shooting involving DeKalb County Police.
Delano Gaynor, 28, of Lithonia, was shot and injured along Evans Mill Road near Interstate 20, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
A witness described it as a shootout between a man and police just before 9:30 Wednesday morning.
"Officer said put your weapon down, and he didn’t," the witness said. "He shot twice, and the police officer started shooting back at him."
Video captured the end of the officer-involved shooting. The video obtained by FOX 5 was taken just moments after gunfire erupted in the parking lot of a shopping center on Evans Mill Road. It shows DeKalb County Police officers with their guns drawn working to take the man seen laying on the ground into custody.
Police say it all started when officers, who were looking for an armed robbery suspect in the area, spotted him.
The witness did not want to be shown on camera but was working at the Dollar General when the shooting happened. She says just seconds before the shooting, the suspect was in her store buying something.
"I guess, when the customer left, they recognized him as a robbery suspect, and so, that's when they told him to put the gun down, and that's when he pointed the gun at the police officer," the witness said.
Once in custody, DeKalb County Police say medics rushed the suspect to the hospital in critical condition. Investigators say no police officers were injured, and a gun was found at the scene. The witness says the shoes in the middle of the crime scene belonged to the suspect.
"It was a foot chase, and that's his shoes," she said. "He literally ran out of his shoes."
Gaynor suffered multiple gunshot wounds.
The GBI is leading this investigation. So far, detectives have not identified the suspect.