Investigators say the man ignored commands to drop a handgun at The Commons apartments just before midnight on Dec. 24.
ATLANTA, Ga. — A Georgia Bureau of Investigation probe is underway after an off-duty Atlanta police officer shot and wounded a 31-year-old man late Christmas Eve at a northwest Atlanta apartment complex, authorities said. The encounter followed resident reports of a woman being chased and shots fired.
Officials said the officer was working an extra job at The Commons on Middleton Road NW around 11:45 p.m. Wednesday when two people flagged him down inside the property and warned of an armed man. The officer soon confronted a man holding a gun. After the officer issued several commands to drop the weapon and the man did not comply, the officer opened fire. Paramedics took the wounded man to Grady Memorial Hospital. No officers were hurt. The shooting drew a large police response and triggered the standard statewide review for incidents involving police gunfire.
The GBI identified the injured man as Joshua Knox of Atlanta. Investigators said Knox was conscious when transported and is expected to survive. Authorities did not immediately disclose how many shots were fired or whether the woman reported by witnesses suffered injuries linked to the chase. APD Deputy Chief Prenzinna Spann told reporters at the complex that the officer heard gunfire before residents approached. Spann said the officer located the armed man and gave repeated commands to disarm. When the man did not comply, the officer fired at least once, striking him. Additional officers arrived, applied first aid and secured the firearm at the scene.
The confrontation unfolded in the 3000 block of Middleton Road NW near Collier Heights, a residential area with multiple apartment communities. State investigators said they are gathering interviews, canvassing for surveillance video and mapping where rounds were fired. The officer’s name and years of service were not released Thursday. The woman whom witnesses described as being chased has not been publicly identified, and her condition was not available. Authorities also did not say whether the gun recovered at the scene was loaded, whether spent shell casings were collected from the earlier reports of gunfire, or whether any additional suspects are being sought.
Under Georgia procedure, the GBI conducts an independent investigation when an officer fires a weapon, then delivers its findings to the Fulton County district attorney for review. APD conducts a separate administrative review after the state case file is complete, which can affect duty status and training decisions. In this case, officials said the GBI will provide updates as major steps are finished, including forensic analysis and a timeline reconstruction. No criminal charges related to the shooting had been announced as of Friday, and authorities had not released any body-camera or security video from the incident.
Residents who woke to sirens described a swift response. One tenant said he counted several patrol cars blocking the main drive while detectives photographed the breezeway near a courtyard. A neighbor said she could see emergency lights reflecting off building windows as medics wheeled a man toward an ambulance. Others reported officers knocking on doors to ask whether anyone heard shots or had video from porch cameras. By daybreak, most cruisers had cleared, leaving crime-scene tape around a cluster of parking spaces inside the complex.
As of Friday morning, investigators said Knox remained hospitalized and stable. The GBI’s next step is to compile interviews and physical evidence for the district attorney’s review. APD said further details, including the officer’s employment status, would come after the state’s investigation advances. No additional information about the woman reported in the initial call had been released.
Author note: Last updated December 27, 2025.