ATLANTA — An Atlanta police officer was shot in northwest Atlanta Thursday morning and is in the hospital after responding to a call of a possible burglary at the “A Ma Maneire” shoe store on Marietta Street.
Police investigators said when officers arrived at the store, they immediately went around to the back where they found burglars had broken through a back wall to the store. Once they got to the back, they said the suspects ran away. While that was happening, police said a security guard fired one shot.
That shot hit the officer who was transported to Grady Memorial Hospital where he was reported to be recovering.
“We’re currently speaking with him, reviewing video and looking at all aspects to give us the clearest picture of what transpired this morning,” said Assistant Police Chief Darin Schierbaum
Early Thursday afternoon, Atlanta Police announced that they had arrested the security guard, 41-year-old Paul Augustin. Augustin is facing charges of aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony and reckless conduct in relation to shooting the police officer. Aggravated Assault,
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At Arden’s Garden, located next door to the sneaker store, employees told Channel 2′s Steve Gehlbach they were surprised that someone had shot at police. But they also said they were not surprised that the high-fashion, clothing and shoe store was targeted again by burglars.
In March, 2021, a group of thieves stole a UHaul truck and drove it through the front of the Arden Gardens store front.
“They rammed it so hard that they went through the wall and busted down the wall between us and next door. They went in and took things and then ran away,” Holly said.
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Another neighbor in the shopping plaza told Gehlbach their store has been hit more than a dozen time in just the past couple of years. The neighboring shop said it’s gotten so bad, they had to hire their own security.
Schierbaum said that police are still trying to piece together the sequence of events in the shooting and burglary incident. He expressed his thanks to the officers than helped their injured comrade and said that all officers are trained to lend emergency trauma care at crime scenes as needed before medical help can arrive.
“While this training was crafted to serve the citizens of Atlanta,” Shierbaum said. “Today it was applied to one of our officers to help save his life”.
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