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ATLANTA - An alert officer, a stolen car and a foot chase through one of Atlanta’s high-end malls is how Atlanta police say they took an extremely dangerous criminal off the streets.
Police say Landry Young had been charged previously with escape, armed robbery and several aggravated assault charges. He was wanted by three different counties: Gwinnett wanted him for a probation violation, while DeKalb and Jackson counties want him for not registering as a sex offender. He now faces more charges in the city of Atlanta.
Atlanta Police Sgt. Warren Pickard said it was an alert officer watching a city security camera near Lenox Square mall that put the bust into operation.
“We have over 7000 cameras in the city that monitors activity on a daily basis,” said Pickard.
Thursday, officers at the Video Integration Center picked up on a stolen car on their cameras and followed the car to Lenox Square, quickly dispatching officers to the area.
“Officers arrived at Lenox mall and saw the car back into a parking space adjacent from Bloomingdales,” said Pickard.
The suspected car thief was already inside the mall, but it didn't take officers long to find him in Macy's.
“He said ‘Sir, I need to speak to you and immediately.’ A foot pursued throughout the mall,” said Pickard.
The officer used a stun gun on Young, but police said he kept running. Young fell down the escalator before police finally got him in custody. It was once he was detained police realized this guy was wanted by other agencies.
“He was a sex offender from another state, a sex offender from our state. He had not registered. He had active warrants on him. We were able to get him in custody and off the street,” said Pickard. “Day on and day off we prove these cameras are successful.”
Investigators said Young admitted to driving the stolen vehicle, but that his girlfriend allowed him to drive it.