SOUTH FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — Channel 2 Action News has learned that a police officer who was shot multiple times in the line of duty is has undergone surgery and is now in recovery.
Union City Police said Tuesday afternoon that Officer J. Turner had a succesful surgery Monday night and is doing well. He will have one more surgery on his knee.
The shooting happened near a home along Highpoint Road in Union City around 6 p.m. Monday. A 19-year-old suspect was killed.
The suspect's mother, Shantrina Griggs, identified him as 19-year-old Veltavious Griggs.
[PHOTOS: Police officer shot in Union City]
Police had the area blocked for hours and some neighbors could not get home.
So far, the circumstances around the shooting have not been released, but investigators confirmed in a brief statement Monday evening that Griggs died on the scene. Right now, investigators are not saying if the injured officer fired the deadly shots.
“This is horrible. We hate to have something like this happen in our city. It’s tragic,” Vernon Young said.
"My child dead. Why and who and killed him? That's what I want to know," Griggs said.
[INTERACTIVE MAP: Shootings involving Georgia law enforcement for 2019]
Griggs said her son was a young father who turned his life around after a 2016 arrest for obstruction and theft by receiving in Fulton County.
“He done been in trouble before, but he got past that. He started going to the studio, started doing by me, saying, 'Momma, I’m not bad no more,'” Griggs said. She said he has a child who is13 days old.
As soon as Channel 2 Action News learned of the shooting, Channel 2's Richard Elliot rushed to Grady Memorial Hospital, where he captured video of police cruisers speeding into the entrance of the emergency room with lights and sirens blaring as the ambulance carrying the injured officer followed closely behind.
#Breaking. College Park Police vehicles pull into Grady as we get reports of an officer shot in Union City. Developing.... pic.twitter.com/M4tTG5GIxO
— Richard Elliot (@RElliotWSB) April 1, 2019
#Breaking The ambulance with the injured officer just pulled into Grady Hospital. pic.twitter.com/AmWRLY52wo
— Richard Elliot (@RElliotWSB) April 1, 2019
The mayor of Union City confirmed to Channel 2's Tom Jones that Turner was undergoing surgery for his injuries and said the officer was "in good spirits."
The Command Staff and officers of the Union City Police Department would like to extend a heartfelt thanks to everyone...
Posted by Union City Police Department on Monday, April 1, 2019
He went on to say, "I am praying for the officer and the families of those involved. Anytime there is a loss of life, it is troubling."
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The Georgia Bureau of Investigation confirmed they were called in to investigate the shooting. Agents arrived to the scene around 10 p.m.
The GBI has been requested to investigate an officer involved shooting at the request of Union City Police Department. Agents are en route. pic.twitter.com/0d5bnt9057
— GA Bureau of Invest (@GBI_GA) April 1, 2019
GBI officials said a gun was found on the scene and that a chase led up to the shooting.
This is the 27th shooting involving a police officer in Georgia so far this year.
In traffic diversion around area where officer was shot. HighPoint Rd in Union City blocked off @wsbtv pic.twitter.com/bJLO08nwK0
— Nicole Carr (@NicoleCarrWSB) April 1, 2019
Neighbor came up to the news truck crying. Multiple neighbors say a teen was involved in this . We do not have confirmation on the ID of person who died @wsbtv pic.twitter.com/vXt6qy1iQM
— Nicole Carr (@NicoleCarrWSB) April 1, 2019
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