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GBI: Trooper opened fire after suspect drove toward him

The shooting happened in the final moments of a police chase involving multiple agencies
Credit: Jennifer Leslie/WXIA

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has been called in after a car pursuit ended in a state-trooper involved shooting near Atlanta.

According to an update from GBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Brian Whidby, the incident began as a police pursuit involving the Atlanta Police Department and a 1998 Honda Civic with a stolen tag. The GSP joined the chase and used a PIT maneuver to stop the car on southbound I-75 just north of Central Avenue in Hapeville, Georgia.

At this point, the state trooper attempted to arrest the driver, 29-year-old Jimmie Lee Ford. However, with the suspect’s car not completely disabled, authorities said Ford managed to drive toward the trooper. According to Whidby, the trooper began to fire on the car.

Ford attempted to get away and the trooper once again got in his vehicle to give chase but soon crashed. The 29-year-old tried to get away down Porsche Avenue but Atlanta police finally caught up with him after he ditched his car.

So far, authorities aren’t sure where Ford was hit or how many bullets the trooper fired at him. His exact condition isn’t known but Whidby said he was stable when being taken to the hospital.

He added that Ford was not armed aside from the car he was driving. The state trooper was not injured.

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