1 dead after high-speed police chase involving transit bus near Atlanta

ATLANTA (WANF/Gray News) - One person is dead and a suspect is in custody following a multi-county high-speed chase involving a Gwinnett County, Georgia, transit bus that started in Atlanta and ended in DeKalb County late Tuesday afternoon.

Atlanta police said someone was found on the bus with a gunshot wound and later died after they were taken to the hospital.

The suspect, identified as 39-year-old Joseph Grier of Stone Mountain, was taken into custody, Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said during a press conference Tuesday evening. He said Grier is a convicted felon with 19 prior arrests.

Schierbaum said the deceased victim will be identified once the next of kin is notified. He said the victim is believed to have died of a gunshot wound.

He said 17 people were on board the bus, including the driver, who was taken to the hospital.

Schierbaum said 911 dispatch received a call around 4:30 p.m. about a gunman who was holding hostages on a Gwinnett County transit bus and had possibly fired a weapon, at 45 Ivan Allen Junior Boulevard NE.

The call came just as Schierbaum and other police officials were holding a news conference on a shooting at an Atlanta shopping mall. Schierbaum said it does not appear that the two incidents are related.

Schierbaum said an officer arrived one minute later and confronted the suspect, who forced the bus driver to take off.

A chase ensued, which went through Gwinnett County before it ended in DeKalb County.

Schierbaum said as police were pursuing the bus, 911 dispatch got a call from a family member of a person onboard, saying he was receiving text messages that there was a hijacking and hostage situation on the bus.

He said a person on the bus then called 911, and the line remained open throughout the chase, providing law enforcement with valuable information to end the chase.

The bus hit several vehicles during the pursuit. At one point, the bus drove on the wrong side of the road on State Route 8.

When the chase ended, multiple people were seen getting off the bus and the suspect was seen being taken into custody.

Law enforcement agencies in Atlanta, DeKalb and Gwinnett counties, along with the Georgia State Patrol, were all involved in the chase. During the press conference Tuesday evening, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens and Schierbaum thanked those agencies for helping end the hostage situation and save lives.

“It’s unfortunate that today, in two different instances, I am coming before the media with Chief Schierbaum talking about acts of gun violence in our region, in our city, and I’m thankful for the partnerships that we have here,” Dickens said.

Dickens said his heart went out to the deceased victim and the victims who had to endure a “frightening journey” across multiple jurisdictions.

“Let me be clear, we’re talking about gun violence that is as a result of too many people having guns in their hands,” said Dickens, adding that the suspects in the bus hijacking and the Peachtree Center shooting, both convicted felons, should not have had access to firearms.