CARROLLTON, Ga. – A Georgia man fled from a traffic stop and then negligently shot his passenger as he tried to toss a gun out the window. The passenger is expected to survive the gunshot wound, and the driver was taken into custody, according to law enforcement authorities.
An officer with the Carrollton Police Department in Georgia conducted a traffic stop for a moving violation — failing to maintain its lane. During a routine records check, the officer discovered the registered owner of the vehicle had an active warrant, according to WSB-TV.
Moreover, the officer noticed a small quantity of marijuana in the car and believed the driver, identified as Akeem Blue, may also have been impaired by alcohol.
When the officer asked Blue to exit the vehicle to facilitate the investigation, he sped away instead, Yahoo News reported.
Officers gave chase, but the vehicle suddenly stopped, which allowed police to re-engage with the occupants. The passenger in Blue’s car, who was not identified, had been shot. He told officers that Blue tried to throw a gun out the window when it discharged, striking him.
The unnamed passenger was flown to Grady Memorial Hospital with unspecified injuries, but is expected to survive.
Blue was taken into custody. He faces charges that include felony fleeing, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, DUI, reckless conduct, possession of marijuana, and simple battery.
