Police Called For 'Demented Person' In DeKalb: Man Dead, Officer Wounded

DECATUR, GA -- A man is dead early Thursday after a gunfight with a DeKalb County police officer, Patch has learned. The shooting took place in the 1100 block of Maple Walk Circle in Decatur after authorities received calls about a "demented person" with a gun, according to news reports.

An officer who arrived at the Maple Walk Apartments confronted the suspect, but the man took off running, sparking a chase, according to DeKalb authorities. (SIGN UP: For more information on this and other neighborhood stories, subscribe to Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts. Or if you have an iPhone, download the free Patch app.)

Chief James Conroy told WXIA-TV that more officers converged on the apartment complex. "Within moments we had four officers total on the scene," Conroy said. "They confronted the suspect near the vehicle and exchanged gunfire with the suspect."

In the melee, an officer was shot in the hand, prompting both the lawman and suspect to be taken to Grady Memorial Hospital, according to WGCL-TV.

As is the protocol when there's a police shooting, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation has launched an investigation.

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