Atlanta firefighters and police specialized units swarmed an apartment complex off University Avenue late Thursday night after a medical emergency call escalated into a dangerous armed standoff.
SWAT standoff at Atlanta apartments
Atlanta firefighters responded to a “person down” call at the Columbia at Capitol View apartments on University Avenue late Thursday. After entering the unit to help the injured person, a man inside pulled a weapon on them, officials said. The firefighters immediately called for help and moved to a safer position. Atlanta Police and fire department SWAT medics arrived quickly, and after a short standoff, the suspected gunman was taken into custody.
Once the scene was secured, firefighters were able to go back and help the person whose medical emergency originally triggered the call, who was found to not have anything serious.
Fire officials on ‘unexpected’ danger
Fire department officials thanked Atlanta Police for their quick response, noting they are grateful no first responders or bystanders were shot.
“We always like to proceed with caution… and rely on our training, but sometimes, some things are just unexpected,” said AFRD spokesperson Capt. Andrew Anderson.
University Ave. standoff
Police have not yet released the identity of the person taken into custody or the specific type of weapon used to threaten the firefighters. While the standoff ended with an arrest, authorities have not announced what charges will be filed against the suspect.
