Armed 18-year-old killed in officer-involved shooting in Clayton County, officials say

REX, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – An armed 18-year-old was fatally shot by a police officer in Clayton County Monday afternoon, police say.

The shooting occurred after Clayton County officers responded to a suspicious person call around 4:30 p.m. in the 3200 block of Chippewa Drive, according to Clayton County Police Chief Kevin Roberts.

Roberts said several people reportedly entered a vacant home on site.

When they arrived, officers immediately began ordering people inside the home to come out, according to Roberts.

He explained that that's when a person in the house – later identified by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) as Hakim Al-Nas – came out and “made contact” with a policeman.

Roberts said Al-Nas then began running toward an area where other officers were trying to keep other trespassers away from the property. The officer who made contact with Al-Nas ordered him to stop. When he didn't, the officer shot Al-Nas, fatally hitting him, Roberts said.

“It’s a suspicious person call. The officer doesn't know what to expect. In this case, the end of that engagement was not to anyone’s liking,” Roberts said. “We lost a life and we value everyone’s life, and it’s unfortunate.”

He said three other people, two aged 18 and one aged 16, were removed from the property and taken into custody.

Al-Nas' gun was recovered, Roberts said.

No police officers were injured during the incident. Roberts said the officer who shot the 18-year-old will be placed on administrative leave, which is common when an officer is involved in a shooting.

The GBI is investigating the incident. The agency typically investigates any time a law enforcement officer is involved in a shooting.

The GBI released its preliminary findings Monday evening. According to the agency, Al-Nas was shot several times while trying to flee.

“When officers arrived on scene, they saw four people behind the house,” the GBI said. “As the officers approached them, Al-Nas attempted to run away and one of the responding officers shot him several times. Al-Nas was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The GBI said officers “recovered a handgun at the scene.”

The agency said it will turn over the results of its independent investigation to the Clayton County Prosecutor's Office for review.

This marks the second police-involved shooting in metro Atlanta in less than 24 hours.

This is a developing story. Check back with Atlanta News First for updates.

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