A man accused of smashing glass cases and stealing jewelry inside a Macy’s store at the Mall of Georgia then stabbed an employee, according to Gwinnett County police.
Jose Reyes-Serrato, 27, of Loganville, ran from the store and got into a pickup truck, Gwinnett police spokeswoman Sgt. Jennifer Richter said in a news release. When he got out, an officer shot him, Richter said.
The violence started around 11:20 a.m. inside the store, located at 3333 Buford Drive, police said.
When Reyes-Serrato was seen stealing jewelry, a Macy’s employee tried to intervene, according to police. The employee, a 55-year-old man from Lawrenceville, sustained serious injuries and was taken to a hospital. Police later said they expected the man to survive.
Officers quickly spotted Reyes-Serrato driving a gray truck a short distance away from the mall, Richter said.
“One officer attempted to ram the vehicle to stop the suspect, but he continued to try to flee,” Richter said.
When Reyes-Serrato got out of the truck and started to run, he was shot by an officer, police said. He was also taken to the hospital and expected to survive. The GBI confirmed it was not asked to investigate the incident as an officer-involved shooting.
“Our officers moved decisively to stop the suspect in that moment because this is a high-traffic area and Reyes posed an immediate threat to the safety of the public,” Richter said.
Witness Jared Meeker told Channel 2 Action News that he heard screams after the stabbing. He said he immediately grabbed his mother and ran for the nearest door.
“Everybody in there was panicked; had to get out of there as fast as possible,” Meeker said.
The store was temporarily closed and drivers were advised to avoid the area. The exits from I-85 to the mall were both temporarily closed during the investigation, according to police.
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