A 17-year-old boy was shot dead by police Saturday after he allegedly killed a police dog and pointed his gun at officers, authorities in Georgia said.
The teenager was identified as Stephon Ford by Clayton County Police Department Assistant Chief Bruce Parks during a news conference Saturday.
Police were Responding to Reports of 'Suspicious Activity' at a Hotel
As reported by CNN, the shooting happened in Jonesboro, Georgia, about 17 miles south of Atlanta, just before 2 a.m.
The Jonesboro Police Department was responding to suspicious activity involving three males at a hotel, police said. Upon contact, all three fled, and two were caught by police and taken into custody, Parks said. Jonesboro police then reached out to the Clayton County Police Department to help with the search for the third suspect.
County police dispatched a police K-9 unit, which located the suspect hiding in a nearby wooded area, Clayton County police Capt. John Ivey said. Verbal commands were given for the suspect to come out, Ivey said. The teen then allegedly produced a handgun and began firing, striking the police dog.
The officers set up a perimeter to contain the suspect and transported the dog to a local animal hospital where it later succumbed to its injuries.
Ford Shot After He Pointed Gun at Officers, Say Police
Several hours later, officers located the suspect again within the search perimeter and gave him several commands to drop his weapon, according to Clayton County police. The suspect then allegedly pointed his firearm at officers. Officers opened fire on the suspect, striking and killing him. No officers or civilians were injured during this incident.
This investigation is being turned over to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. In a Facebook post, police identified the dog that was killed as Waro.
