Officers shoot, kill knife-wielding man during confrontation on I-75 SB, police say

ATLANTA - The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has been called to investigate the deadly shooting of a reportedly armed man by Atlanta police officers on Interstate 75 early Thursday morning.

Atlanta police tell FOX 5 that officers responded to a BoltBus on the interstate at around 1 a.m. after receiving reports of a stabbing in the vehicle.

At the scene, officials said they encountered a 33-year-old passenger on the bus who was armed with a knife and was running in the lanes of traffic on the interstate.

While officers reportedly tried to deescalate the situation and use less-lethal options like Tasers, they say the man did not follow their instructions and charged at the law enforcement agents. That's when the five officers opened fire, hitting the man multiple times.

Speaking at a press conference, Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum called the incident a "very dangerous situation."

The unidentified man was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital, where he was declared dead.

"This is never the outcome the Atlanta Police Department wants," Schierbaum said. "We want there to be safe and peaceful resolutions to all these encounters, and I think the actions of the officers from the time they were discharged until the time weapons had to be discharged shows that was not their desire either."

Officials say no motorists or officers were injured in the incident. Officials say the individual who was stabbed was treated on scene and is expected to recover.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has been called to do an independent investigation into the shooting.

While the investigation is ongoing, all lanes on I-75 SB were closed, leading to serious delays stretching back to University Avenue on the interstate.

Lanes have begun to reopen, though traffic is still slow in the area. Drivers can avoid the slowdown by using Metropolitan Parkway or Highway 29 as alternate routes.