Police: Teen shot during exchange of gunfire with Gwinnett officer

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - The Gwinnett County Police Department is investigating a shooting involving one of its officers and a 16-year-old boy.

The incident happened Friday morning at 1400 Chase Lane near Norcross, which is an apartment complex called Bloom at Dawson. The teenager was shot in the leg, police said, and has a non-life-threatening injury.

During a press conference, police said the boy’s mother called 911 at about 6:30 a.m.

“The woman called us because she was concerned. He had a handgun,” Sgt. Michele Pihera, a department spokesperson, said. “He appeared to be under the influence of drugs, so it was important for her to get police out here for her safety.”

An officer arrived, and the mother pointed out her son to the officer, police said. The officer encountered the teen between two buildings and briefly chased him, according to police.

Police said the officer told the boy to drop his weapon, but he fired toward the officer, who fired back. The boy was hit in the leg and handcuffed. Another officer applied a tourniquet, after which the boy was taken to the hospital, police said.

Police later said in a statement that the teenager had two firearms when the officer first arrived, but he threw one out during the pursuit when it appeared to malfunction.

No officer injuries were reported.

“Our officers are trained in firearms. We have to do quarterly training every year, and it’s a skill that we hope we never have to use,” Pihera said. “We’re just very fortunate that our officer was not injured.”

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