The officer, whose name was not released, had pulled over Kevin Shymel Gibbs, 24, of Austell at about 5 p.m. during the course of a traffic stop for driving “a suspicious vehicle” on Park Road in Smyrna.
Smyrna Police Officer Michael Smith declined to explain what made the car suspicious.
As the officer got out of his car, Gibbs attempted to run him over, Smith said.
The officer then shot Gibbs, before Gibbs drove away, prompting a police chase for about a mile during which several other vehicles were struck.
The pursuit ended when the officer’s and Gibbs’ cars collided at the intersection of Spring Road and Glenroy Drive.
Gibbs was taken to a hospital for treatment, after which he is expected to be incarcerated in the county jail.
Gibbs has been charged with aggravated assault with intent to murder and felony obstruction.
As is routine in any officer-involved shooting, the officer has been placed on administrative leave pending the conclusion of an internal investigation by Smyrna police detectives.
Smith would not say whether there was a video recording of the incident.
He did say that all marked patrol vehicles in Smyrna are equipped with in-car cameras.
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They don't seem to have been trained for traffic directing.
I drove past a horrible backup during a.m. rushhour at QT /Windy Hill the other morning.
Cobb Police were talking to the folks at the damaged cars.
A Smyrna police car w/ 2 officers sitting in their car, blocking an eastbound traffic lane.
This is where quality of life comes in. I am 100% certain that if this were Dunwoody, Sandy Springs or Roswell,.. there would have been officers directing traffic to help their citizens get to work.
The same goes for the backup along Spring, at this incident. The officers seem the least concerned or qualified on how to get the traffic moving.
They need to get out of their cars & move their arms, learn the technique!!
It would be helpful at Concord & Atlanta Road intersection every morning. The people would be better served w/ cops moving traffic through, instead of hiding in bushes waiting to write tickets!!
They want to fool as many unsuspecting people into moving out to this no mans land , then once they're here, they will sadly discover the town is only a shell of a city. There is nothing here!
Nothing!
Also, where is the story on the kid threatening officials at Argyle Elementary School, putting it on lockdown for most of the day, yesterday?
The story his hidden. Only on WSB/TV.
It SHOULD be on the Smyrna Facebook, Cobb County School District page & Melanie Pritchett's(council person for that ward)Facebook.
Smyrna's motto- keep 'em in the dark while we steal all their tax money!!