Police: Austell K-9 out of surgery and stable after shooting

Marietta Daily Journal, Ga.
·2 min read

Apr. 20—A man fled a police checkpoint in Douglasville on Sunday, leading to a police chase that resulted in the shooting and injuring of an Austell police K-9 dog and the death of the suspect, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

The dog, named Jerry Lee, was transported to a veterinarian and is in stable condition. No other police were injured, the GBI said. Austell police said the dog had surgery Monday.

"Out of surgery! Stable at this point. If pain is manageable, he should go home as soon as tomorrow hopefully," the department wrote on Facebook. "This was a tricky procedure, we are praying for a full recovery. Jerry Lee has a long road to go! Keep the prayers and good vibes coming!"

Douglasville Police Department officers were conducting a driver's license and safety checkpoint on Chapel Hill Road near its interchange with Interstate 20 exit around 2:07 a.m. Sunday, the GBI said.

While at the checkpoint, officers saw a vehicle try to avoid police. They began pursuing the vehicle, which then stopped. A male driver exited and ran away.

Police then set up a perimeter and requested assistance from the Austell Police Department's K-9 unit, the GBI said. During the search, the man was found, and an Austell officer exchanged fire with the suspect.

K-9 Jerry Lee was struck once in his front left leg. Austell police said in a Facebook post that Jerry Lee was shot by the suspect.

Following the shootout, the man then ran along a wood line parallel to I-20.

Georgia State Patrol Aviation located the man in the woods near the 6800 block of Douglas Boulevard at approximately 5:08 a.m., the GBI said. Douglas County Sheriff's Office SWAT team members tried speaking with the man and "during their attempts they reported hearing a gunshot."

"Officers found the man with a gunshot wound and rendered medical aid," a GBI news release said. "A handgun was found near his body."

Whether the man shot himself is under investigation, GBI said.

The man, who has not been identified pending notification of next of kin, was taken to Wellstar Douglas Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, the GBI said.

An autopsy will be performed by the GBI, which is conducting an independent investigation. Once completed, it will be turned over to the Douglas County District Attorney's Office for review.