Teen in custody grabbed officer's gun, shot her, investigators say

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By Tom Jones

MCDONOUGH, Ga. — Investigators say a 15-year-old boy grabbed an officer's gun and shot her in Henry County on Wednesday afternoon.

Channel 2's Tom Jones learned two officers from the Department of Juvenile Justice were transporting the teen from a group home in Macon to a youth detention center in Henry County.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation says a female officer was driving the car and a male officer was in the back seat with the teen.

While they were driving down Highway 20 in McDonough, the teen reached into the front seat and grabbed the steering wheel. The car went off the road, and as it did, the teen grabbed the female officer's gun and shot her in the hand, according to the GBI.

The male officer then pulled his gun and shot the teen.

"I do know that the kid was handcuffed," DJJ Commissioner Avery Niles said.

A woman at the RaceTrac on Highway 20 in McDonough told Jones she heard a crash and saw the officer being choked. She then heard gunfire.

"I thought it was a kid, so that's why instinct is, 'Let me go help.' This is a parent getting attacked by their child," she said. "As I was approaching the car, I heard a gunshot, so I turned around, was running and I heard a second gunshot."

Both the officer and the teen were taken to the hospital. The officer was treated and released. The teen is being treated for his injuries and is in the custody of DJJ.

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Niles said the teen was in a group home during a testing period to prepare him to be released back into society, but he failed, so he was being transported back to a secure campus.

NewsChopper 2 over the scene showed part of the gas station near where the crash happened blocked off with crime scene tape.

In a tweet, the GBI confirmed it was called to investigate the officer-involved shooting.

GBI spokeswoman Nelly Miles tweeted that they were requested by the McDonough Police Department.