A Virginia man was shot by a state trooper in Savannah after stealing an officer’s patrol car and leading authorities on a chase through Chatham County, officials said.
The GBI was called to investigate the shooting Thursday afternoon. It was the 43rd such incident the agency has been asked to investigate this year, and the second in less than 24 hours.
The incident started just before 3 p.m. when a Chatham County police officer was called to investigate a report of a “suspicious vehicle” at a hotel near I-95, the GBI said. During the encounter, the officer learned 29-year-old Jacob Anthony Palmer was wanted in Virginia, authorities said.
“As the CCPD officer continued his contact with the suspect, a scuffle ensued, and the suspect pulled a gun on the CCPD officer,” the GBI said Friday. “The suspect then jumped into the officer’s patrol vehicle, and sped away from the scene.”
State troopers joined in on the chase and tried to stop the stolen cruiser, authorities said.
The GBI said Palmer “drove in an aggressive manner” toward oncoming traffic and crashed head-on into a car at a traffic light. He eventually wrecked the cruiser a second time near the intersection of Victory Drive and Bee Road in Savannah, causing the patrol car to catch on fire, officials said.
“GSP troopers instructed Palmer to exit the vehicle. Palmer did not comply with their commands and pointed a gun in the direction of the troopers,” the GBI said. One trooper fired his weapon, striking the man.
Palmer got out of the car and was given aid while the state troopers waited for paramedics to arrive. He was taken to Memorial Health University Medical Center and was listed as stable Friday afternoon, authorities said. No officers were injured in the incident.
The 29-year-old faces several felonies, including aggravated assault on a police officer, obstruction, theft, felony eluding and a host of traffic charges, according to the GBI. Officials have not said why Palmer was wanted in Virginia.
— Please return to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution for updates.
