JONESBORO, Ga. – A woman is in custody after shooting a Georgia police officer in the arm early Friday while he was responding to reports of gunfire at an apartment complex, authorities said.
The Clayton County police officer, whose name has not been released, was treated at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta just after 4:15 a.m. for the injury described as non-life-threatening, Police Chief Kevin Roberts told news outlets. The officer was expected to be released later Friday.
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Roberts said officers were called to an apartment complex in Jonesboro for reports of gunfire. When they arrived, they spoke to a person who said he was shot at by someone at the apartments during a dispute, he said.
The occupants of one apartment, who were not involved in the initial shooting incident, assumed the officer was trying to break into their home, Roberts said. The woman saw the officer’s flashlight and began to shoot from inside the apartment, he said.
“Due to darkness, one of our officers shined his flashlight at that patio door, and immediately upon panning that flashlight, he sustained gunfire and received one shot to his arm,” Roberts said.
Police arrested LaShonda Person, 49, on two counts of reckless conduct in connection with the shooting of the officer. It was not immediately known if she has an attorney who could speak on her behalf.
“They definitely thought someone was trying to gain entry, is what their initial response was,” Roberts said. “Our officers were not anywhere near the patio door, they were just searching with flashlights.”
The suspects from the original shots fired call remain at large, but there was evidence of a gun being fired in the breezeway of one of the buildings, Roberts said, adding that no one was injured in that shooting.