Atlanta Police say best way to avoid getting shot during car theft is to walk away

ATLANTA - It might be an instinct for some witnessing a thief break into their car to confront the individual, but an Atlanta police commander says that is definitely not the way to go. In a public meeting, this top cop gave frank advice on how to avoid getting shot in the city of Atlanta, should you encounter a burglar.

"My jeep was broken into, ransacked, there were valuable things there. They were obviously looking for a gun," Council member Michael Bond spoke personally in the city meeting about the time he was a victim on a crime.

"I've been a victim as well. They didn't get anything, but they damaged my door," Atlanta Police Department Deputy Chief Tim Peek shared.

When police commanders visit Atlanta City Hall, they typically talk about car crimes. During Monday's meeting, Peek had a clear frank message to citizens.

"The trends that we see from [auto thefts] is if you challenge them, oftentimes--nine times out of ten--they are armed, and they will shoot," Peek said. "So, we don't want anyone challenging anyone."

One woman told FOX 5 how she just survived having a rifle pointed at her for her car.

In a different incident, a law-abiding individual pulled his weapon believing a would-be thief on the other side of the gas pump was about to pounce.

He was not harmed as the thief fled.

That individual was one of the lucky ones, according to the commander, because over the weekend in midtown another man told police he came eye to eye with a man who had gotten into his car. When this particular would-be thief was startled, he began firing a weapon and drove away with accomplices in a getaway vehicle.

The innocent motorist was struck, fortunately not seriously.

FOX 5 recently covered an incident outside a strip shopping center where the victim did what the police commander says is the safest thing to do.

"[I] just walked back into the store because I did not want to risk my safety and other civilians here in the area," the victim told us.