GBI Investigates Officer Involved Shooting in Atlanta

On Thursday, January 23, 2020, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation was requested by the Georgia State Patrol (GSP) to investigate an officer involved shooting.

Preliminary information indicates that at approximately 11:57 a.m., the GSP was assisting the Atlanta Police Department with a stolen vehicle investigation.  A GSP trooper made contact with the stolen car in the 100 block of Leslie Street SE in Atlanta.  The vehicle was initially parked when the trooper exited his vehicle to investigate. The driver attempted to leave in the vehicle, and the trooper gave verbal commands to stop.  The driver drove the stolen vehicle in the direction of the trooper and struck his marked GSP patrol car.  During the incident, the trooper fired his weapon, striking the driver of the vehicle.  The vehicle sped away but later crashed near the intersection of Leslie Street SE and Wylie Street SE.  The driver, identified as Andrew Smyrna, 32, of Ellenwood, GA, had gunshot wounds and was transported to Atlanta Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.  A passenger in the stolen car was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital with vehicle accident-related injuries which were non-life threatening.

The trooper was not injured during the incident.

The GBI will complete its independent investigation and once complete it will be turned over to the DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office for review.