Driver shoots passenger while trying to toss gun from window during chase, GA cops say
A driver wound up shooting his passenger as he fled a traffic stop, police in Georgia said.
The 23-year-old man was arrested March 20 after being accused of leading officers on a chase that ended when a gun went off as he tried to toss it out a car window, according to the Carrollton Police Department.
An officer patrolling the area spotted a vehicle that failed to maintain its lane, police wrote in a news release. A run of the car’s license plate showed the registered owner was wanted on a warrant for simple battery.
Police stopped the car and noticed the smell of marijuana, the release states. Officers said it appeared the driver had also been drinking.
When the driver was asked to step out of the car, he sped away instead, officers said. A chase ensued but ended a short time later when the car “came to an abrupt stop.”
“At that time, the passenger in the vehicle notified officers that he had been shot when (the driver) attempted to throw a firearm out of the window during the pursuit,” authorities said. A gun was found at the scene.
The injured passenger, who wasn’t named, was taken to a hospital, according to police.
His condition wasn’t known as of March 22.
In addition to the warrant, the driver was charged with felony fleeing, DUI, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, reckless conduct, marijuana possession and failure to maintain lane, police said.
Carrollton is about 50 miles southwest of downtown Atlanta.
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