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Atlanta shooting: Cobb police chief explains how tech helped lead to suspect's capture

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Published  May 4, 2023 6:55pm EDT
Crime and Public Safety
FOX 5 Atlanta

Tech helped capture suspected Midtown shooter

The Cobb County Police Department's chief of police is commending his staff on the capture of shooting suspect Deion Patterson. Police say Patterson opened fire in Midtown Atlanta, killing one woman and injuring four others. They say he then fled to Cobb County where he was eventually captured. Authorities say technology played a vital role in his capture.

COBB COUNTY, Ga. - Cobb County's Police Chief says just four years ago his department would have not had the state-of-the-art technology that helped them track down active shooter suspect Deion Patterson. The chief is also commending his staff that makes that technology work.

"None of our officers were hit last night, none of our officers were ambushed from the woods, and so I said a prayer of thanks to God," 

Cobb County Police Chief Stuart Vanhoozer led off with in a news conference Thursday morning.

The chief commended his staff for a job well done in taking down active shooter suspect Deion Patterson in the Waterford Place Condominiums in Smyrna.

The Chief praised the new technology of the Flock license plate recognition camera that located the exact white Toyota Tacoma Pickup truck that Patterson allegedly fled to Cobb County driving.  It was in the Smyrna area.

"When I can get an actual photograph from The Atlanta Police Department of the car with a tag number and a photograph of an individual who shot five people.
Guess what, I've detained one. I don't pull over every white Tacoma that I see that is occupied by an innocent civilian," Chief Vanhoozer said.

Cobb County Police Chief Stuart Vanhoozer

Cobb County Police Chief Stuart Vanhoozer

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The chief says it was a plain clothes officer who first confronted the armed suspect near the pool house in the shady complex.

"He just gave him verbal commands and the individual was a pretty good distance away. It took a while to get him. But it was a slow methodical, safe approach, verbal commands," the Chief confirmed.

Cobb Police gave FOX 5 a behind the scenes look at The Real Time Crime center where all the technology came together, including DOT cameras.

 He also applauded officers,  dispatchers and even the public for making all of these components work together to successfully capture Patterson.

"FLOCK LPR, FuSes real time crime center and the DOT cameras and the CAD integration. Those four things were very instrumental for us in Cobb County," the chief concluded.

Chief Vanhoozer closed by saying his department has embraced technology which has changed policing for the better.