A dramatic police pursuit unfolded on Tuesday afternoon when a hijacked commuter bus led officers on a high-speed chase from downtown Atlanta into neighbouring suburbs. Tragically, one person was fatally shot during the incident.
The chaos began shortly after 4:30 p.m. when Atlanta police responded to reports of gunfire and a possible hostage situation on a Gwinnett County Transit bus near downtown Atlanta. News helicopters captured the bus careening through rush hour traffic and striking several vehicles as it fled.
“Our initial call was of a gunman on the bus, holding hostages, and possibly a discharged weapon,” Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum stated at a Tuesday evening news conference.
An officer arrived within a minute of the 911 call and confronted the suspect, identified as 39-year-old Joseph Grier, who then forced the bus driver to drive off, sparking the chase, Schierbaum said. Grier, a convicted felon with 19 prior arrests, was armed with a handgun.
The bus was eventually stopped miles away in DeKalb County. One of the passengers on the bus died from an apparent gunshot wound. No other injuries to passengers or the driver were reported.
Schierbaum revealed that there were a total of 17 people on board during the pursuit, including the driver. One of the 911 calls from the bus remained open throughout the chase, providing vital information to authorities.
It was that information that our call takers and dispatchers were hearing that was fed initially to the Atlanta Police Department, and then to the Georgia State Patrol, and then our partners at Gwinnett … to help craft an end to our hostage situation,” Schierbaum said.
John Gilbert of suburban Dacula shared his harrowing experience as his wife, Paulette, who takes the bus three days a week, was on board during the incident. She called him to say one man had shot another. Gilbert advised his wife to get off the phone to avoid attracting attention from the gunman.
“I felt like I had a hole in me,” Gilbert said through tears. “I’m just glad she’s alright.”
Television footage showed the bus striking multiple vehicles and crossing into oncoming traffic with police in pursuit. The chase ended when the bus veered off the road and was immobilized by a SWAT vehicle in DeKalb County.
News photos showed an armoured police vehicle blocking the front of the bus, with a firetruck flanking it. The digital sign above the bus windshield still read: “EMERGENCY” and “CALL POLICE 911.
The initial 911 call came as Chief Schierbaum and Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens finished briefing reporters on a separate shooting at a downtown Atlanta food court. That shooting, which injured three people, was unrelated to the bus hijacking.
“Today has been a very active day, but let me be clear, we’re talking about gun violence that is a result of too many people having guns in their hands,” Mayor Dickens said. He emphasized that mental health issues might have played a role, but the central issue was the prevalence of guns.
Authorities continue to investigate the incident, and anyone with information is urged to contact the police.
