Police kill car chase suspect

A man was killed Tuesday in East Point when police shot him after a car chase that ended with his crashing and then trying to run over an officer, authorities said.

After the crash, two Atlanta police officers were walking toward the wrecked sport-utility vehicle when it backed toward one of the officers, said Capt. Pat Boyce of the East Point Police Department.

"The police sensed the physical threat. A car is a big weapon," she said.

If autopsy results, which are expected to be released today, confirm that gunshots killed the man, it would be the tenth fatal shooting by police in metro Atlanta this year, three more than this time last year. Police are withholding the victim's name pending notification of the family.

Boyce said the 10:45 a.m. incident at the eastbound Virginia Avenue on-ramp to I-85 South remains under investigation. Police did not say whether they found a weapon in the man's Lincoln Navigator.

A few witnesses questioned whether police had to shoot.

"The cops could have just let him go and then pursued him. They would have caught him," said Tyrone Jacobs, 27, manager of a nearby Texaco gas station. "There was a 90-year-old lady at the gas pumps. She was a nervous wreck."

The two Atlanta officers are Officer Charles Frye and Senior Officer Marilyn Stone, both of whom have been on the police force since 1973. Both have been placed on administrative assignment, as is routine following a police shooting. Atlanta police spokesman Sgt. John Quigley said both officers fired shots during the incident.

"He just sped past the police officers and ran a red light," said Quigley. "When he crashed, they pulled up. And when they walked over, he slammed it into reverse. Obviously they were frightened."

The car chase began when the Atlanta police officers spotted the gray SUV driving erratically on Virginia Avenue near the East Point border, police said. The pursuit ended a few blocks away when the vehicle, careening onto the I-85 South ramp, crashed into the guardrail, police said.

"The cop car stopped behind it," said Michael Wilgues, 26, of Santa Cruz, Calif., who was at a gas station. "They told the guy to get out and he wouldn't. Then he hit reverse and barreled off. And they started firing after him." Wilgues said the SUV reversed with enough force to drive the police car back 5 feet.

After the shooting, the SUV continued to travel across the Virginia Avenue overpass before crashing again on the other side.

--- Staff writers Mike Morris, Jeffrey Scott and Bill Montgomery contributed to this article.

"Wilgues said the SUV reversed with enough force to drive the police car back 5 feet."

Well that means the guy backed into and hit the police car hard. That is much more serious than the writer lets on to. Obviously the police officers were somewhere in between. Sounds totally justifiable to me.

I one encountered some very scary police officers when I was stopped for driving with a broken seat belt. I didn't see the police lights due to a missing rear-view mirror (yes, I drive a GM car). The police (a State Patrol officer and a cadet) approached within an inch of my face and screamed at me. A witness to the event later told me that the cadet was reaching for his gun.

"'The cops could have just let him go and then pursued him. They would have caught him,' said Tyrone Jacobs, 27, manager of a nearby Texaco gas station."

Tyrone, get a clue. You manage a gas station. The cops deal with life and death every day. By what authority do you opine about what the cops should or should not do? Why don't you trying getting into the police force--then your opinions might mean something.

< I one encountered some very scary police officers >

Actually, what you encountered was some very SCARED police officers. And I don't blame them. They didn't know you couldn't see them. All they knew is that it appeared you were running from them. People who run from the cops are running for a reason, and they have been known to kill law enforcement officers.

I absolutely detest Jack Boots and hope they eventually get their just deserts, but I also feel sorry for the ordinary policeman who is just trying TO LIVE through his shift.

Actually, what you encountered was some very SCARED police officers

They were simply arrogant and it doesn't seem to stop. Last week, the 17 year old daughter of my secretary was harassed by an off-duty police officer when she stopped at a stop light after erroneously moving forward when the car next to her began to turn left on the turn signal. Another car next to her sped forward. This caused the off-duty officer to accuse the girl of drag-racing. He called other officers and ordered them to search her vehicle for drugs. Several cars were on the scene and in the end, no drugs or traces of drugs were found. The off-duty officer screamed profanities regarding teenagers and continued to search the vehicle. Other officers tried to console the girl by telling her that she had done nothing wrong and the officer who stopped her was out of control. The girl was issued no citations. By now she was vomiting in the street. Another young female passenger was similarly horrified.

I think it is important to realize that one bad cop can do a great deal of damage. They need to be weeded out of the system before something very serious happens. This is something we need to think about when we elect city leaders, sheriffs, etc. Good leadership will not allow bad cops to keep their jobs. They will remind new recruits that the purpose of an officer is to serve the public. Screaming profanities at teenage girls is not in the job description.

"The cops could have just let him go and then pursued him. They would have caught him," said Tyrone Jacobs, 27

Was he a friend of yours, Tyrone?

I say good riddance. People who lead cops on chases ought to be charged with attemted murder. Plus, these morons need to be culled from the gene pool. Don't they watch *COPS*? The thungs and gangbangers who lead police on chases always get caught. In most cases they flee because the car is stolen but I've seen enough of them who flee because they got a dime-bag of pot on them or a Failure to Appear for a previous misdemeanor on their record. Next thing they know they're serving hard time.

These idiots are like the mental midgets who rob 7-11s at gunpoint even though everyone who has ever bought anything at a 7-11 knows that any bill larger than a $5 is deposited in a safe immeditely after being tendered.

"They told the guy to get out and he wouldn't. Then he hit reverse and barreled off. And they started firing after him." Wilgues said the SUV reversed with enough force to drive the police car back 5 feet.

Based on the story, police did not have grounds to shoot in self-defense; but they did have some grounds for preventing the driver's proven threat to disregard lives in the community; tough call; I would not have shot, but I can't blame the police in this case.

Whether a police officer or a "civilian," your first responsibility is to attempt to get out of harm's way; but if cornered, you can shoot to kill; that is the law established in most communities across the country in accordance with the wishes of the people, expressed through their duly elected representatives sitting in legislative bodies at the state and/or local level; federal gun laws do not apply in these instances, except upon U.S. Government property.

If officials would 'weed out' or dismiss cops that are gung-ho, have a bad attitude, power hungry, think they're better than other people, break laws themselves, talk down to citizens, abuse their power, or are mentally unstable, then there would be no cops left.

I have never met a cop who wouldn't do the job for free. It's a power trip.

Personally, I think they would pay for the job.

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