Atlanta police fatally shoot armed man outside Midtown's Four Seasons hotel

Atlanta police fatally shot a man who they say had been “brandishing a firearm” at the Midtown Four Seasons hotel early Wednesday.

Officers got a “person armed” call at the 14th Street hotel shortly before 1 a.m. When police arrived, authorities said the man was in front of the hotel, still with the gun, and walked around the building toward the parking garage.

The GBI identified him as Justin Lanier, 44, of Atlanta.

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At some point, Lanier turned around and started walking toward the officers, according to the GBI, which has been asked to investigate the incident. The officers then gave “several verbal commands for him to drop his weapon,” Deputy Chief Prenzinna Spann told reporters at the scene.

Lanier refused and instead “moved his hand towards his handgun on his side,” the GBI said.

“This led to the officers discharging their firearms,” Spann said.

Credit: Atlanta Police Department

Credit: Atlanta Police Department

Lanier was struck, and Spann said officers immediately began rendering aid as they waited for an ambulance to arrive.

“Unfortunately, he succumbed to his injuries,” she said.

A handgun was located near him, the GBI said. No other injuries were reported.

Spann said investigators were looking into what brought Lanier to the hotel. It is not clear if he was a guest or had another reason to be there.

Just before sunrise, yellow police tape remained outside an entrance to the luxury hotel, which has nearly 250 guest rooms and suites. A Four Seasons spokesperson did not return a request for comment.

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The incident comes nearly a year after a resident of the condominium complex above the hotel barricaded himself in his condo and fired more than a dozen gunshots from inside, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution previously reported.

Jay Steven Berger, 70, was arrested after an hours-long standoff that resulted in injuries to himself and an Atlanta officer. He faces a slew of charges, including several counts of aggravated assault against a law enforcement officer and obstruction.

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Berger was granted a $101,000 bond with several stipulations and was released from jail Nov. 28. His case remains active in Fulton County Superior Court.

Earlier this month, Berger’s defense attorney filed a motion requesting to modify the conditions of his bond so that he could move into an assisted living facility. A ruling has not been made.

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