SWAT officers opened fire on suspects loading handgun in car, police say

ATLANTA — Atlanta SWAT officers opened on fire two suspects after seeing one of them loading a handgun as they were driving down Moreland Avenue, police said Wednesday.

The incident unfolded around 12:30 p.m. Wednesday at Moreland Avenue and Memorial Drive.

[INTERACTIVE MAP: Shootings involving Georgia law enforcement for 2019]

“At some point the suspects made a gesture at the SWAT truck. When they pulled up alongside the suspect vehicle, they looked and they saw the suspect loading a handgun,” said Deputy Chief Jeff Glazier, of the Atlanta Police Department.

Police told Channel 2's Tom Regan that the two men in the car shot back at the officers, hitting the truck the SWAT officers were in.

Investigators identifed the men on Thursday as Kenneth Gilber Sr., 56, and Kenneth Gilbert, 29.

“They certainly feared for their life, which is why they fired on the suspects,” Glazier said.

Rios Rees saw the wild shootout.

"It was just unbelievable," Rees said. "We heard the shot and we were trying to run for our lives."

Police told Regan that the men were taken into custody and no officers were hurt in the situation.

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The suspects both have gunshot wounds and were taken to a nearby hospital.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation was called in to help investigate.

Triple Team Traffic said all lanes of Moreland Avenue were blocked off while police investigated the shooting. The on-ramps from I-20 were also shutdown.

This is the 20th shooting involving law enforcement officers so far this year in the state of Georgia. This is also the second of three in less than 24 hours.

Cox Media Group