ATLANTA — Several streets are closed in Midtown Atlanta after a police officer was shot at an apartment building Wednesday afternoon.
The officer was shot at the Solace on Peachtree Apartments in the 700 block of Peachtree, one block north of the iconic Fox Theatre, Atlanta police confirmed to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. A SWAT unit is on the scene, and a police helicopter is circling the area.
The officer, whose name was not released, was stable after being taken to Grady Memorial Hospital, Atlanta City Council member Jennifer Ide said during a virtual committee meeting that was happening as the emergency situation unfolded on Peachtree.
“We continue praying for a speedy recovery for him,” she said.
Patrick Walker, who works as a concierge for the apartment building, was at the front desk when he he heard what sounded like a loud box drop to the floor. Police came running through the doors, scattering employees and others in the lobby, Walker told the Journal-Constitution from the scene.
From his position inside a locked leasing office, Walker said he heard lots of gunfire. He then saw an officer being carried out by his arms and legs “bleeding so bad.”
“I’ve never known what it meant to run for your life and be so scared,” he said. “Now I do.”
Police have not confirmed any details about the shooting.
Peachtree Street is closed between Ponce de Leon Avenue and Fifth Street while an investigation is underway, authorities said. Several side streets are also blocked near the apartment building.
Atlanta real estate agent Jamie Sternlieb described a chaotic scene Wednesday afternoon as police descended on the area. She planned to go to CVS to pick up a prescription, but decided to walk the other way when she heard the commotion.
”There are a ton of cops and they have some of the buildings on lockdown,” she told the Journal-Constitution. Sternlieb and her neighbors are locked out of their Midtown condo and believe police are still searching for a suspect.
”People are really freaked out because they think someone’s on the loose,” she said. “I don’t know if that’s true or not, but they’re not letting anyone into that area and they’re not letting cars through.”
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has confirmed it is sending agents to the scene to investigate.
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(Journal-Constitution producer Kelly Audette and reporters J.D. Capelouto and Shaddi Abusaid contributed to this article.)
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