FBI: APD officer shoots, kills armed robbery suspect

ATLANTA (FOX 5 Atlanta) - The search for armed robbery suspect led investigators to a northwest Atlanta apartment complex Tuesday and ended with an officer-involved shooting.

It happened Tuesday morning at the Allen Hills Apartments in the 3000 block of Middleton Road NW. Police say 21-year-old Jimmy Atchison ran when members of the Atlanta Metro Major Offender Task Force showed up at his girlfriend’s apartment just before 9 a.m.

Kevin Rowson, FBI spokesperson says, “He was here in the apartment complex. We developed information. We’ve been looking for him for a while.”

According to the FBI, the suspect ran into another apartment where he was shot and killed by a task force member, an Atlanta Police officer.

Rowson says, “He jumped out a window of one of the apartments, jumped down a couple floors. There was a foot chase that ensued into another apartment building into another apartment.”

The officer’s shot killed Atchison.

Jimmy Hill Jr., suspect’s dad says, “I just got a call my son was shot by the Atlanta Police, the FBI.”

Atchison’s family showed up at the crime scene as word of the shooting spread. They admit he has had brushes with the law, but want to know why police opened fire if he was running away as officers maintain.

Tammie Featherstone, man's aunt says, “I don’t know anything about a robbery or anything like that. If that’s the case then regardless if you are chasing him, if he’s running, there’s no need to shoot him.”

Both the FBI and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation are investigating the shooting.