A man was taken into custody near Dunwoody’s Perimeter Mall after an early-morning chase and confrontation, during which police said they fired at a group of burglary suspects who jumped into a security car and drove toward officers.
Fredrick Hammonds, 35, was taken into custody before 9 a.m. Thursday and transported to a local hospital to be treated for apparent gunshot wounds, police said. The GBI is investigating the officer-involved shooting, and the search for two other suspects continued.
Hours before, Dunwoody police responded to the closed mall for a report of a burglary in progress, police spokesperson Sgt. Michael Cheek told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Three men broke into the mall by smashing the glass with a sledgehammer, Cheek said. They then broke into the boutique store Request with the sledgehammer and “took a large amount of luxury bags from the store,” he said.
When officers arrived at the parking lot, they encountered the men, who fled the scene by stealing a mall security vehicle, officials said. Officers began a brief pursuit.
Credit: Ben Hendren
Credit: Ben Hendren
The vehicle crossed Ashford-Dunwoody Road and stopped at 66 Perimeter Center East, where police confronted the suspects. The group then “intentionally drove their vehicle toward our officers,” Cheek said. Police shot at the car, and the group drove away and crashed nearby on Ashford-Dunwoody Road. The suspects left the car and ran away.
The mall security car had bullet holes that shattered the driver’s side window.
K-9 units responded to the scene, and a DeKalb County police helicopter aided in the search, Cheek said. After several hours of looking, Dunwoody officers located Hammonds hiding nearby.
Credit: Ben Hendren
Credit: Ben Hendren
People were initially advised to avoid the area. There were no impacts to traffic on Ashford-Dunwoody Road or to those arriving to the Perimeter Mall area for work.
Dunwoody police’s burglary investigation is still ongoing, and no charges have been announced.
Credit: Ben Hendren for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Credit: Ben Hendren for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
In a statement, a spokesperson for the mall’s owner, Brookfield Properties, called the incident “unfortunate and targeted” and said the company is “incredibly grateful for the swift response from Dunwoody Police Department and our security team.”
The mall opened and operated as usual Thursday, the company confirmed.
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