GEORGIA (LOOTPRESS) – A Sunday-morning call that began as a potential hostage situation ended with a dramatic exchange of gunfire late this week in DeKalb County, Georgia — and one DeKalb County police officer walked away unharmed, thanks to body armor, while the suspect — now identified as 45-year-old Shkinnia Patrice Thomas — remains in police custody after being wounded.
According to the official statement from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), officers responded to a 911 call at roughly 5:34 a.m. on November 21 alleging a woman was being held against her will inside a home on Errol Drive in Lithonia — and that children might be present.
Upon arrival and a loud “person shot” radio transmission, officers forced entry and encountered a woman armed with a handgun. She ignored commands to drop the weapon, fired on the officers, and struck one in the vest. The wounded officer required no medical treatment.
One of the responding officers returned fire, striking Thomas. She was transported to the hospital and is listed in stable condition as she recovers. Meanwhile, the occupants of the house — an elderly couple — were found unharmed, and no children were located — contrary to the original report.
Thomas has since been formally charged with multiple serious felonies: aggravated assault, two counts of aggravated assault on a law-enforcement officer, possession of a firearm during a crime, and felony obstruction of police.
The GBI is conducting the agency’s mandatory review of the use of force at the request of the DeKalb Police Department; once completed, the case will be handed over to the DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office.
As of the latest release, no officers were injured, no other civilians were harmed, and the wounded suspect is under medical care.
