Gwinnett County police shot Jose Reyes-Serrato, a man who allegedly stabbed a person at the Mall of Georgia on Friday.
The incident began when a suspected thief began smashing jewelry counters inside the Macy’s store at the mall, authorities said. The suspect then stabbed a store employee who tried to stop him and he fled, police said.
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Gwinnett County Police spotted the suspect as he was fleeing the scene in a grey pickup truck, Sgt. Jennifer Richter, a police spokeswoman, said in a news release. One officer tried to ram the vehicle to stop it and the suspect got out, attempting to run on foot, and an officer fired his weapon, hitting the suspect at least once, she said.
Richter said the victim is hospitalized with severe injuries. The suspect, identified as Jose Reyes-Serrato, 27, of Loganville, was in stable condition, she said.
“Our officers moved decisively to stop the suspect in that moment because this is a high traffic area and Reyes posed an immediate threat to the safety of the public,” she said.
The suspect damaged the jewellery counter with a “crowbar or similar object” during what police believe was an attempted robbery inside Macy’s, they added. According to Richter, the suspect was allegedly “trying to get merchandise.”
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Authorities said that the call came in around 11:30 am. The suspect was apprehended by police while he was running away from Macy’s, close to the intersection of Mall of Georgia Blvd. and Financial Center Way.
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“Active Investigation: The Gwinnett Police Department is working an active scene at the Macy’s located at The Mall of Georgia (3333 Buford Drive). Please avoid the area at this time,” the Gwinnett County Police tweeted.
