Witness describes hearing gunfire after DeKalb officer stabbed, suspect shot
Officer stabbed, suspect shot after altercation in DeKalb
A DeKalb County police officer was hospitalized with a stab wound and a suspect remains in critical condition following an officer-involved shooting Monday morning outside a vacant building.
DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. - A DeKalb County police officer was stabbed, and a suspect was critically injured during a violent encounter on Monday morning, according to DeKalb County police.
What we know:
According to DeKalb County police, officers were investigating a suspicious man at 8:18 a.m. in the 2900 block of North Decatur Road near DeKalb Industrial Way when an encounter turned violent.
According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the man appeared to be sleeping on the property when police arrived and refused to identify himself to officers. The GBI said the man then reached for a sharp-edged weapon and used it to attack the officer.
The officer was brought to the ground while the GBI said the man continued to stab the officer in the head and arm.
The officer then fired their weapon, striking the man.
The injured officer was taken to a hospital and was reported to be stable with what police described as a moderate injury.
The suspect was critically injured.
The incident reportedly happened at a vacant building near a self-storage facility.
NOTE: Police initially reported that the suspect was killed in the shooting. At 9:48 a.m., they sent an email stating that the suspect is in critical condition and not deceased.
DeKalb officer, suspect hospitalized after encounter
A DeKalb County police officer was stabbed and a suspect was critically injured during a violent encounter on Monday morning, according to DeKalb County police. This is a breaking news update.
What they're saying:
A witness who was nearby said she heard three gunshots around 8:10 a.m. and immediately recognized the sounds as gunfire.
"It was loud enough for me to to distinguish it was a shot and not a car backfiring. So I looked to see if there was a car. There was no cars passing," the witness explained.
"The police came immediately afterward, so I wasn't concerned that it was coming towards us," they added.
The witness said they normally see officers stationed at the vacant building.
"Every day. I mean, all times of the day, they are either parked in front of the building or on the side of the street," they said.
Witness describes hearing shooting in DeKalb County
A witness described hearing the shooting on Monday morning involving a DeKalb County police officer who had been stabbed. The suspect is in critical condition. Police were still on the scene of the incident at noon Monday.
What we don't know:
The suspect has not been identified at this time. Additionally, authorities have not identified the officer who was stabbed.
What's next:
As is standard procedure in officer-involved shootings, DeKalb County police requested that the Georgia Bureau of Investigation conduct an independent investigation into the incident.
Police said any additional information about the shooting will be released by the GBI.