MARTA shooting suspect arrested in Alabama, officers recovering

ATLANTA - The man accused of shooting two MARTA police officers overnight at the Five Points station was arrested in Alabama.

What we know:

The Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force with the U.S. Marshal Service took 26-year-old Christopher Daniels into custody in Guntersville, Alabama after tracking his vehicle from Georgia. Guntersville is about 150 miles northwest of Atlanta. 

Authorities say both officers were shot when they tried to stop a man peeing near a platform at the MARTA station.

Christopher Daniels. Courtesy of MARTA

The shooting happened around 11:30 p.m. Thursday at the station's Alabama Street exit. According to MARTA, the officers confronted the man and attempted to put handcuffs on him. He then reportedly fired several shots over his shoulder, hitting both officers.

Officials say a female officer was grazed by a bullet in the knee and should be released soon to recover at home.

A male officer was shot in the arm and is currently in the ICU. Authorities say the bullet may have shattered his bone, and he may need surgery.

What they're saying:

MARTA Police Chief Scott Kreher said Daniels was confronted around 11:30 p.m. Thursday by Officers Rayven Thomas and Carlos Williams after he was allegedly seen urinating on the Five Points Station platform. Kreher said Daniels became agitated as the officers attempted to arrest him.

"As they got one of his arms in handcuffs, he used the other arm to shoot at the officers," Kreher said. "He fired a total of six shots. And both of the officers are extremely lucky to be alive today. That firearm was going off next to our officers’ head."

Thomas suffered a shrapnel injury to her knee and temporary hearing loss from the close-range gunfire. She was released from Grady Memorial Hospital Friday morning. Williams, who was shot in the arm, remains hospitalized in intensive care and underwent surgery to repair a broken arm.

MARTA officers shot at Five Points station

Two MARTA officers have been shot after authorities say they confronted a man peeing near a platform at the Little Five Points Station.

Kreher told FOX 5's Marc Teichner that the gunman got on a train after the shooting and got off at the West End station. The gunman then reportedly tried to get rid of his weapon by throwing it on the station's roof. The weapon has since been recovered.

"When you give them a bad guy to find they find him," Kreher said of the U.S. Marshal Service. "And it’s very rarely that they don’t."

Kreher said Daniels is a local resident with a minor criminal history but had no previous contact with MARTA police. He added there is no clear reason why Daniels went to Alabama, other than to avoid arrest.

Despite the shooting, Kreher emphasized that MARTA remains safe to ride, noting that both robberies and aggravated assaults are down this year.

"We are currently in a mandatory overtime detail the whole month of August," Kreher said. "In the history of MARTA, the fall — August, September-ish — seems to be when we uptick the most in crime, so we’ve wanted to take a proactive approach to that and put a lot of resources out there."

Two officers were shot at the Five Points MARTA station after authorities say they tried to stop a man peeing in the station's parking lot. (FOX 5) 

Dig deeper:

MARTA has also identified the officers as Rayven Thomas and Carlos Williams. Thomas suffered a shrapnel injury to her knee and temporary hearing loss due to the proximity of the gunfire. She is now recovering at home.

Williams, who was shot in the arm, is still in ICU at Grady Memorial. His family is with him, according to MARTA. 

Rayven Thomas and Carlos Williams. Courtesy of MARTA.

What's next:

Daniels is being transported back to the Fulton County Jail.

Local perspective:

Due to the police investigation, service to the Five Points station was temporarily shut down. The station has since reopened.

What you can do:

If you have any information that could help with this investigation, call the Atlanta Police Department.