A SWAT officer fired on a father and son in a pickup truck in southeast Atlanta Tuesday afternoon after police said one of the men showed a gun.
The shooting took place at the intersection of Moreland Avenue and Arkwright Place at about 12:30 p.m. Moreland Avenue was blocked in both directions at the intersection north of I-20 until around 9 p.m., police said.
Both men in the pickup were wounded but are stable, police said Tuesday. They were identified by the GBI as Kenneth Gilbert Sr., 56, and his son, Kenneth Gilbert, 29.
No officers were injured.
The incident began when the two men in the pickup truck gestured toward the unmarked SWAT vehicle, according to Atlanta police. One of the officers saw the passenger with a handgun. According to Channel 2 Action News, the man began loading the weapon.
The officer advised the passenger to put the gun down, police said, but he pointed it at the officers.
“During the incident, one officer discharged his weapon,” GBI spokeswoman Nelly Miles said. “Both men sustained injuries and were taken to Grady Memorial Hospital for treatment.”
The passenger allegedly returned fire. The SWAT vehicle was hit by gunfire in the exchange.
Sonam Vashi, who lives near the intersection, said she stopped at the light a few cars back when she heard several gunshots ring out.
"I heard what sounded like acorns hitting my car but they were actually pops of gunfire. I wasn't sure what was happening," she said.
“[Police] were pointing toward the western part of the intersection at someone," Vashi continued. She said people who were walking in the area began to run.
Soon afterward, Vashi said, “police had someone who was handcuffed, lying face down on the ground.”
It was the 20th officer-involved shooting the GBI has investigated in 2019, spokeswoman Nelly Miles said.
Two more officer-involved shootings were reported in the past 24 hours, one in DeKalb County and the other in Cherokee County, the GBI said.
MORE: 3 officer-involved shootings in 18 hours, but pace down so far in 2019
— Staff writer J.D. Capelouto contributed to this article.
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