A hijacked commuter bus in downtown Atlanta led to a wild police chase and the tragic death of a passenger. Suspect Joseph Grier, with 19 prior arrests, is now in custody. Read more about the dramatic incident and its aftermath.
Atlanta (Bollywood Fever): A passenger was fatally shot after a gunman hijacked a commuter bus in downtown Atlanta with 17 people on board, holding a gun to the bus driver’s head, as reported by police.
The Atlanta police received three separate 911 calls starting at 4:30 p.m., reporting a man holding hostages on a Gwinnett County Transit bus near 45 Ivan Allen Jr. Boulevard and that shots had been fired.
Responding officers observed 39-year-old Joseph Grier holding a gun to the bus driver’s head, forcing him to drive, which initiated a dramatic police chase.
The bus collided with several vehicles, including a Gwinnett County patrol cruiser, as it maneuvered through traffic, with Georgia State Patrol cruisers in pursuit.
Aerial footage captured the bus speeding down the highway as other drivers frantically tried to clear the way.
At one point, all lanes of the interstate were closed as officers attempted various tactics to stop the bus.
In a desperate bid to halt the bus, police tried a “PIT” maneuver, which was unsuccessful, according to 11alive.
The bus was eventually stopped using spike strips, police said.
It came to a halt roughly 20 miles away in Tucker, near Hugh Howell Road between Deer Ridge Drive and Rosser Road.
Passengers were seen exiting the bus with their hands raised. First responders immediately performed CPR on a victim shot by Greer during the chaos.
The unidentified victim was rushed to a local hospital, where they later died, police stated.
Greer was taken into custody, and charges are pending.
Dennis Durham told WSBTV that he was leaving Gusto on Hugh Howell in Tucker when a car in front of him reversed suddenly to avoid the bus, crashing into his vehicle.
“Here comes the bus right in front of us and just knocked through a lot of these cars and made them hit each other,” Durham said. “I saw so many police cars in so many different areas my head was swimming.”
One man told the outlet that his wife was one of the passengers on the bus. She noted that Greer appeared to be mentally ill.
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said Greer has 19 prior arrests, including for possession of a handgun.
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