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Officers shoot suspect firing from back of police cruiser

ATLANTA — A woman is dead after police said she opened fire in the back of a police cruiser early Thursday evening.
 
The incident happened just after 5 p.m. in front of the Atlanta police precinct near Underground Atlanta on Pryor Street.
 
Channel 2's Richard Elliot was around the corner at the Fulton County Courthouse reporting on the re-sentencing of three APS educators when he saw officers running toward the scene.
 
Atlanta police said officers took the woman into custody after finding her in a vehicle that was reported stolen. A police source said when officers detained the woman, they found drugs and learned she had a warrant.
 
"Shortly after that, that individual opened fire with a handgun or with a weapon firing at least twice at the officers. The officers retreated and opened fire," said Maj. Darin Schierbaum with the Atlanta Police Department.
 
"They came out of the parking deck because they were searching the wrong place, guns drawn. Like I said, about 10 of them, to the back of the police car. At the police car they found the (woman) that was shot," a witness told Elliot.

Police identified the woman as 25-year-old Alexia Christian.
 
The patrol car's back windshield had a gaping hole from the gunshot while officers investigated the shooting.
 
Christian was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital to be treated for her wounds. She later died from her injuries.
 
Investigators said no officers were hurt in this incident.
 
Sources told Channel 2's Amy Napier Viteri that one of the officers involved was recently sworn in and in the final stage of field training.
 
According to one source, officers did handcuff Christian, who may have gotten one hand free to grab her gun.
 
Channel 2 Action News crews saw police taking Christian's gun into evidence.
 
When we asked if officers searched the suspect, they told Viteri they were investigating. One witness told Viteri the officers did their job.
 
"I think it's crazy and it's dangerous because you've got kids down here. You've got innocent people walking the streets that don't know what's going on, and it shouldn't happen like that here in Atlanta," the witness said, asking not to be identified.
 
Atlanta police told Viteri they were getting requests for information about the officers and the suspect. 
 
The officers involved have been placed on administrative leave pending the investigation.





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