Teens steal truck, fire at officers as they flee, police say
ATLANTA - Police in Atlanta said a pair of teens are in custody after investigators said they stole a pickup truck and fired shots at responding officers.
Atlanta police said the red Chevrolet Silverado was stolen from a gas station located at 634 Whitehall Street near Northside Drive SW around 2 p.m. on Nov. 10. Police were able to catch up with that truck at an auto parts store about two miles away at 689 Cascade Avenue SW.
Bodycam video released by police shows what happens next. The pickup truck drives through the parking lot to flee from police but encounters a unit at the other end. That’s when the officer running after the truck heard shots being fired. Police said the passenger fired a handgun toward officers.
That pickup truck then took off speeding down Cascade Avenue.
Another officer picks up the officer chasing the car on foot and speeds in pursuit of the stolen truck.
Eventually, the truck strikes an SUV before crashing into a vacant building at 804 Cascade Avenue. Officers quickly surrounded the truck and building.
The two teens that were inside the truck were found on top of a commercial refrigerator unit inside the vacant building, police said. A handgun was found nearby. Investigators later learned that the gun was reported stolen to the South Fulton Police Department.
No one was injured by the shooting and officers did not fire back. The two teens received minor injuries from the crash. And those in the SUV were not seriously hurt.
The driver and passenger, both 16, were charged with aggravated assault against police. The driver was also charged with two counts of felony obstruction, theft by receiving stolen auto, fleeing and eluding, reckless driving, hit and run, interference with government property and multiple traffic charges. The passenger was also charged with possession of a firearm by a person under 18, possession of a firearm during commission of a felony, obstruction, theft by receiving stolen firearm and reckless conduct. In addition, the passenger was a wanted out of East Point on an outstanding warrant for aggravated assault.
"We are proud of the work these officers did in catching these suspects. We are hopeful that the juvenile courts will fully hold them accountable," a post to Facebook by APD reads.
Their names have not been released.
Both were transported to the Metro Youth Detention Center.
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