911 dispatchers received 1,800 calls as police investigated active shooter in midtown Atlanta

ATLANTA — As an active shooter situation paralyzed much of Atlanta and Cobb County, 911 dispatchers were taking hundreds of calls from concerned citizens.

Channel 2 Action News had the opportunity to go inside the Atlanta Police Department 911 Dispatch Center.

Channel 2′s Michael Seiden spoke with some of the women who took the first calls for help.

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On Wednesday, dispatchers took more than 1,800 calls while also helping coordinate law enforcement response to the heart of Midtown Atlanta.

The first call for help came in at 12:08 p.m. and officers were on the scene less than two minutes later.

“We normally don’t have an active shooter downtown or in the midtown area, so it was active and they were looking for the guy,” said dispatcher Jamilah Thomas. “My mind was all over the place at the time because I was like, ‘Where is this guy at?’ and who all is injured and will the ambulance be able to get to them in time to save them?”

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After being on the run for more than seven hours, Cobb County police arrested Deion Patterson. He is currently being held in the Fulton County Jail and is charged with Amy St. Pierre’s murder and shooting and injuring four other women.

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