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Man cleared of shooting Clayton County police officer
The family of 25-year-old Arterio Crumbley, who was accused of shooting a Clayton County police officer six week ago, said it took investigators too long for them to clear him of the crime. The Clayton County District Attorney told FOX 5 prosecutors had dropped the charge, but Crumbley is still being held on an unrelated violation of probation warrant.
CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. - The Clayton County District Attorney said charges against a man in a double shooting involving a Clayton County police officer are being dropped.
The District Attorney said Arterio Crumbley is not the gunman in a March 2 double-shooting on Riverdale Road.
Crumbley turned himself in to police, but he and his family maintained he was not the same person shown on security video in a yellow sweatsuit, police believe shot Officer Ryan Richey and another man during an armed robbery at a shopping center in the 5400 block of Riverdale Road.
Crumbley provided police with an alibi. Clayton County police said investigators verified Crumbley's alibi and identified the police department's new suspect as Charles Payne.
Police are trying to find Charles Payne and ask anyone with information to call the police department.
Who is Arterio Crumbley?
Arterio Crumbley (FOX 5 Atlanta)
Crumbley's girlfriend, Saila Bedford, told FOX 5's Deidra Dukes, "He was nowhere near the location."
Bedford said Crumbley was miles from the crime scene, at the couple's new residence in Fayetteville the day of the shooting.
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Girlfriend of suspect charged in Clayton County officer shooting speaks out
Saila Bedford claims her boyfriend, Arterio Crumbley, was with her at a different location when a Clayton County Police officer was shot on Riverdale Road on March 2.
"Clayton County, the police department, if that's who it was, they have already come out here," Bedford said. "They've searched his phone, so they know his location where he was all day. We have plenty of neighbors to attest he was here."
POLICE BODY CAMERA VIDEO SHOWS MOMENTS BEFORE OFFICER SHOOTS, KILLS ARMED 68-YEAR-OLD MAN
Crumbley told FOX 5 Atlanta that investigators were looking for the wrong man. He said the man seen in dressed in yellow inside the store is not him.
He said he was in Fayetteville all day and was nowhere near the crime scene.
Crumbley admitted to having a troubled past and used to live in an apartment complex behind the strip mall where the shooting took place, but he has since moved to Fayette County. He said he is trying to turn his life around which is why he is turning himself in to authorities.
He told FOX 5 he believes he had a violation of probation issue, but professed his innocence in the shooting.
Who was the Clayton County officer shot during an armed robbery?
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Clayton County Police Department press conference in officer-involved shooting investigation
Major Anthony Thuman provides information on the investigation of a double shooting involving a Clayton County officer.
Officer Ryan Richey has made a full recovery and returned to the force, officials said.
Richey was injured and rushed to Atlanta Medical Center where he underwent surgery.
Just after 9:30 p.m., police said Officer Richey was out of surgery and being released from the hospital.
Police said he "would love to heal privately."
The other victim in the shooting, whose name has not been released, also suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
The crime and manhunt
Investigators believe a man wearing a yellow sweatsuit walked into a store in the Windjammer Shopping Center and fired upon the officer and other victim, but the officer did not return fire.
A manhunt followed and police urged people to stay indoors and lock their doors. Officers closed a section of Riverdale Road as more officers swarmed into the area.
Three Clayton County schools — Northcutt Elementary School, North Clayton Middle School and North Clayton High School — were placed on lockdown.
Within an hour of the shooting, investigators released a photo of showing the man in yellow inside the store.
Around 8 p.m., investigators specifically named Crumbley as the suspect, release a photo of him and gave a full description.
An hour later, police said they were scaling back their operations in the area and citizens could return to normal.
By 11 p.m., Crumbley had surrendered to authorities while maintaining he was not the man seen in the early surveillance image.