A man took control of an Atlanta public bus and proceeded to lead police on a high-speed pursuit into an adjacent county.
The driver of the hijacked bus fled the scene, setting off a pursuit that included several agencies, and crossed over into other jurisdictions. The pursuit finally ended on a road in Stone Mountain. Officers removed one individual off the bus while handcuffed when the vehicle pulled over in nearby DeKalb County, according to video evidence.
A critically injured adult was sent to a local hospital after being discovered in the bus suffering a gunshot wound.
Before this incident, a man opened fire on many individuals at a food court in Atlanta’s downtown area before an off-duty cop shot him. The probe is ongoing,
One unnamed person has died, according to an update from the Atlanta Police Department, after the hijacking of a bus and subsequent pursuit along Interstate 85.
Joseph Grier (39) of Stone Mountain was the person being sought by police. He has an extensive criminal record, including charges of aggravated assault and weapon possession by a convicted felon.
Grier was seen getting into a heated argument with someone outside Peachtree Center after the shooting in the food court. That incident has not been linked to Grier. The GBI has updated the public with additional details about the event on the bus.
In downtown Atlanta on June 11, 2024, Grier and a male passenger got into a dispute after boarding a Gwinnett County Transit bus. Grier threatened and snatched the passenger’s gun. Grier then told the bus driver to go after shooting the passenger. In its pursuit by many law enforcement organizations, the bus collided with multiple police cars, causing its tires to get flattened. The bus broke down and stopped operating when a trooper from the Georgia State Patrol shot into its engine area.
The passenger who Grier shot was declared dead, and Grier was apprehended without any other incidents. A nearby hospital also treated the bus driver.
