Police: Officer wounded in shooting in busy Atlanta district
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is investigating the shooting at the request of the Atlanta Police Department
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}An Atlanta police officer was shot Wednesday afternoon in one of the city's busiest commercial districts and was seen being taken away bleeding badly after a barrage of gunshots, according to police and bystander accounts.
Atlanta police Officer C.J. Johnson said the shooting happened in the Midtown district. Authorities asked the public to avoid a portion of Peachtree Street, a major thoroughfare through the heart of the city.
Patrick Walker, who works as a concierge for the apartment building, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he heard a barrage of gunfire.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Georgia State Capitol building in Atlanta (iStock)
Walker was at the hotel’s front desk when he heard the shots and saw police come running through the doors. Employees and others in the lobby tried to find safety, he said.
Walker then saw an officer being carried out by his arms and legs "bleeding so bad," he told the newspaper.
Authorities did not immediately identify the officer or release further details about the officer's condition or what prompted the shooting.
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The shooting happened on Peachtree Street one block north of the Fox Theatre and Georgian Terrace Hotel, where cast members of "Gone With The Wind" stayed when the movie made its Atlanta premier.
Video from local television stations showed a large number of police officers and police cars outside an apartment building after the shooting.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Later Wednesday, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp wrote on Twitter that he and his family "join all Georgians in praying for the Atlanta police officer who was shot in the line of duty today."
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"Georgia stands with the brave men and women who protect us every day," Kemp added.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Georgia Bureau of Investigation says it is investigating the shooting at the request of the Atlanta Police Department. No further details were immediately released.