DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — The man wanted for killing his girlfriend and shooting a DeKalb County police officer has been arrested by authorities.
Otis Walker Jr. was taken into custody by the DeKalb County Sheriff's Office Fugitive Unit late Thursday night in Lithonia. Walker was on the run for a week.
Walker is accused of ambushing officers after shooting and killing his girlfriend, Aleka Simmons, 27, on Aug. 1 at a home in Stonecrest. When officers got to the house, police said Walker shot Officer Derek Nunn in the leg. Nunn is now recovering at home.
Channel 2's Lauren Pozen was at a news conference Friday, where police said a tip led them to Walker at a gas station just a couple of miles away from the crime scene.
"He went out that evening and went to a gas station, and they did a good job surveying him," Maj. Jeffrey Leslie with the DeKalb County Sheriff's Office said."
Walker is now charged with felony murder and aggravated assault on a police officer.
Leslie said he does not want to see domestic violence crimes in DeKalb County
"This type of crime will not be tolerated in DeKalb County," Leslie said. "The shooting of a victim is wrong. The shooting of a police officer is wrong. It will not be tolerated."
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Police stressed the importance of recognizing when a relationship may be abusive.
A friend of Walker's girlfriend said she wishes she had pushed Simmons to leave him.
Pozen found warrants that showed that officers arrested Walker after they say they saw him pushing and dragging Simmons on July 11, but he was bonded out by a friend.
DeKalb County police said Simmons is the eighth homicide death related to domestic violence this year.
"That is 9% of our domestic homicides," DeKalb County Assistant Police Chief Antonio Catlin said. "We'd like to encourage anyone dealing with domestic violence issues to please go get help."
Walker is now at the DeKalb County jail. On Saturday, he'll meet with a judge at the magistrate court via video conference call.
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