Murder suspect kills himself after chase, crashing into package store, troopers say

ATLANTA — A police chase ended in a violent crash in southwest Atlanta Thursday afternoon.

Channel 2′s Tom Jones learned that a man is dead after witnesses say he slammed his car into a package store and then they heard a shot.

On Thursday night, Georgia State Patrol said the man shot and killed himself and the chase started because the driver was connected to a murder.

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Jones obtained exclusive video from a witness who saw all this unfolding just after 2 p.m. Thursday on University Avenue and Pryor Street.

The video shows police going up to the car the man was in with guns drawn. They pull a gun out of his car and then pull him out. GSP says it appeared the driver shot himself.

Jones spoke to a witness who said he saw a police chase, then saw the car slam into the package store.

“Immediately the driver’s door opened, the police were surrounding the car,” said John Blackwell Jr., who works at a Napa Auto Parts store nearby.

He said he heard a shot and then saw police approach the car.

“I mean, as soon as they got out of the car, guns were drawn. But like I said, one shot from the passenger of the car,” Blackwell said. “That was it. No exchange of gunfire.”

Several family members of the man who was killed were out at the scene. They told Jones they were emotional and didn’t want to say much. The man’s identity has not been released.

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Later Thursday night, officials released new details about what led to the chase.

GSP say troopers responded to the area of Interstate 75/85 South and University Avenue to assist officers with the City of Atlanta Police Fugitive Unit with stopping a vehicle.

Troopers were advised the driver was wanted for murder.

According to APD, the man was a suspect in the death of a woman who was killed on Wednesday afternoon at The Parks at Brown Mills Apartments.

Troopers said they spotted the car traveling east on University Avenue and officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop. As they attempted a PIT maneuver, the suspect crashed his car.

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The intersection where the chase ended is an infamous intersection in southwest Atlanta.

Thursday’s situation happened just a few dozen yards from the site of the Wendy’s where police shot and killed Rayshard Brooks.

The shooting happened June 12, 2020, after he was found sleeping in his car at a Wendy’s, when Brooks grabbed an officer’s taser.

The death led to weeks of protests in Atlanta and rioters set the restaurant on fire.

A few weeks later, on July 4, 2020, 8-year-old Secoriea Turner was shot and killed at this same intersection, while riding in a car with her mother.

The shooting happened at a time when armed protesters were patrolling the area. Police arrested two people in Turner’s murder.

IN OTHER NEWS:

Gun goes off inside Henry County school; student found with 2 guns in bookbag The school district said the police were called to the school Wednesday morning after reports of what sounded like gunshots inside the school.

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