Early Thursday, traffic in Midtown came to a halt.
Slowly, Atlanta police released details of what led to the shutdown in one of city’s most heavily traveled areas:
- A black Hummer was involved in at least eight hit-and-runs.
- With cops on his tail, the driver, Eric Wilson, got out of the Hummer and attempted to carjack a white Porsche stopped at Spring and 16th streets.
- A passenger in the Porsche pulled out a gun and shot him.
- Police used a Taser on the man.
The chaotic sequence ended before 11 a.m., and traffic returned to normal.
Police said the wild morning started in some part of Buckhead. Between there and Midtown, the Hummer struck multiple vehicles without stopping.
Police “are not sure” where the man was coming from or en route to, spokesman Donald T. Hannah said.
Police in the area got behind the man at the intersection of Spring and 16th streets. The Porsche was stopped at the traffic light, police said.
The driver got out of the Hummer, demanded the people leave the Porsche, opened the door and “got into a tussle” with Wilson, Hannah said.
The passenger in the Porsche shot him as he opened the driver’s door, according to police. The bullet struck the man in the stomach.
“At that time,” Hannah said, “the subject was detained and placed under arrest and transported to Grady (Memorial Hospital).”
The driver and passenger in the Porsche have not been identified.
No other injuries were reported. The investigation is ongoing.
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