ATLANTA — The family of a man shot by an off-duty Atlanta police officer over the weekend says the officer shot the wrong guy.
It happened at an apartment complex on the 1000 block of Collier Road early Saturday morning.
Pedro Maldonado, 41, had just arrived home from work when his family says a man with a gun robbed him and another man of roughly $1,000. The father of four decided to take matters into his own hands. %
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“My dad chased after him with his gun. Went around the building,” his son, Joel Maldonado, said.
He says the thief fired two shots at his dad, one ending up in a nearby car.
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As Pedro Maldonado rounded the building, he came face-to-face with the off-duty Atlanta police officer.
After hearing gunshots and seeing Pedro Maldonado running with a gun, his son says the officer opened fire, shooting his father multiple times.
"It's something that nobody expects for it to happen. Nobody would expect something like that to happen,” Joel Maldonado said.
APD put the officer on administrative leave while the Georgia Bureau of Investigation looks into it.
"I think he should have at least yelled freeze or something. My dad knows English. If he would have said something, stop, freeze or something, he would have stopped,” Joel Maldonado said.
The GBI sent Channel 2’s Justin Wilfon a statement saying, “The GBI is working with the involved officer's attorney to set up an interview about the incident. We expect that interview to be conducted in the coming weeks.”
Pedro Maldonado, who is the family’s sole breadwinner, is in critical condition, but is expected to recover.
“I just want justice to be done,” Joel Maldonado said.
[ The family has created a GoFundMe account to help with medical and living expenses. ]