One man is dead and another is injured after an exchange of gunfire with an off-duty officer outside a DeKalb County restaurant late Monday night, the GBI said.
Agency spokeswoman Nelly Miles said the officer, a member of the city of Clarkston police force working a part-time security job, saw a robbery victim in the parking lot of the Red Lobster on Candler Road and offered help.
While assisting him, four people got into a vehicle, drove off and shot at the officer and the victim, Miles said. The officer returned fire, hitting two people in the car, described by Channel 2 Action News as a silver Mercedes-Benz.
The car crashed in front of a Wendy’s after nearly colliding with a DeKalb County officer patrolling in the area, according to the news station. Two of the car’s occupants took off running, but officers captured the two who were shot.
Qasum Abdullah, 20, and Darion Jones, 26, were taken to Grady Memorial Hospital, where Jones died. Adbullah was still in the hospital Thursday, the GBI said.
DeKalb investigators believe the people in the car were involved in the robbery, Channel 2 reported.
No officers were injured during the incident.
This is the third officer-involved shooting the GBI has been called to investigate this year.
Lance Kersey, 27, was shot early Monday morning when officers tried to break up a fight outside Tailgaters Sports Bar and Grill on Ga. 155 near McDonough, police said. He was stable at Grady as of noon Monday.
RELATED: Man shot when police try to break up fight at Henry County sports bar
One week earlier, Robert Daniel Barger, 26, of Clarkston, was fatally shot by an off-duty officer at a liquor store near Stone Mountain late on New Year’s Eve, according to the GBI.
Officer Michael Stokes, who is a member of the Pine Lake police force, was working security at Big John’s Package Store on Memorial Drive when Barger entered with a gun around 11 p.m., fired a shot and told everyone to get on the ground, Miles said.
DeKalb police requested the GBI’s assistance New Year’s Day, which is why the agency considers the incident its first officer-involved shooting case of 2019.
MORE: 'Thankful to be here': Man is caught in gunfire during deadly officer-involved shooting
ALSO: Armed man shot 'immediately' by off-duty officer at DeKalb liquor store, GBI says
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