By Rebecca Fusco
Alpharetta officer, David Freeman, was shot five times, on Friday, during a traffic stop along Main Street. Freeman was gunned down by Curtis Hicks after being pulled over for an expired tag. Hicks soon fled the parking lot and led police on a high-speed chase. Hicks and the responding police officers released gun fire on one another, resulting in death. Victims involved in the shoot-out are recovering at North Fulton Hospital.
ALPHARETTA, Ga.--- Alpharetta officer, David Freeman,
was shot five times, on Friday, during a traffic stop along Main Street. Freeman pulled over 52-year-old
Curtis Hicks for a tag violation in the parking lot of a Christian bookstore. As
Freeman approached the black truck, Hicks opened fire. “ The gunshots were so loud,” Debbie
Allen, a passerby, said. “I rolled down
my windows and I could smell where the gunshots went off. It’s scary to think that the gunman could of
shot anyone in the area.” After shooting at Freeman, Hicks
drove off and eventually got onto Georgia 400, driving at a fast speed. While Hicks drove off, Freeman took cover and was able to call for help.
D.U.I Center where Hicks was pulled over
Suspect opens fire on police officers
Hicks
led police on a car chase after injuring Freeman. During the pursuit, Hicks began firing shots at
the officers. After Freeman crashed north of the Northridge Road exit, he got
out of his vehicle and opened fire, hitting four patrol cars. “Situations like this are extremely
dangerous, especially in the open, where there are bystanders,” Aaron Shogren,
police officer, said. “The best thing to
do is to take down the criminal to help keep everyone safe.” Hicks was
shot and killed by authorities after he exchanged fire. There were not any other officers injured during the shoot-out.
Two people injured throughout night
Officer Freeman is in stable
condition at North Fulton Hospital and is expected to have a full
recovery. Freeman was hit in the leg,
lower abdomen, right arm and twice in the vest area. Freeman will undergo surgery and has received paid vacation to rehabilitate. “Although I don’t work at North
Fulton Hospital, I see tragic accidents like this all the time,” Courtney
Holguin, Emory Hospital inter, said. “It’s
especially scary when one of the people who is supposed to be protecting us
comes in injured.” Griselda Cervantes, of Woodstock, was also transported to
North Fulton Hospital. As Hicks
continued to shoot at the authorities, one of his bullets hit the female driver
in the hip. The bullet still remains in Cervantes' lower back. Cervantes was traveling, in her SUV, with her 5-year-old daughter from paying her taxes. She was shot during the chase, but was unsure at the time if it was from the suspect or police officers. This video will give you more insight into how the innocent bystander is doing as she recovers.
Delays in traffic from shooting
Georgia 400 traffic was
re-routed to the Holcomb Bridge Road exit.
The lanes on Georgia 400 were reopened Saturday morning after
being closed for several hours. It was the second shooting on a Georgia freeway in two days. On Thursday
afternoon, an unidentified man believed to be a Miami rap executive was
shot dead in a Maybach luxury car on I-20 in DeKalb County.
Traffic due to the shooting
Suspect is identified in cop shooting
Hicks lived in a town home community on Oak Harbor Trail, off of Bells
Ferry Road. Hicks' neighbors described him as being mentally ill in many
ways. Many neighbors noticed his drastic weight loss, which caused much
concern. The Oak Harbor Homeowner's Association
confirmed that police attempted to to serve Hicks with papers for a
lawsuit related to unpaid homeowner's fees; he owed thousands for years
of unpaid dues."It's crazy to think that I pass that
neighborhood to come to class," Daniel Dey, Kennesaw State University
student, said. "The neighborhood always seems so calm and quiet, with
rarely anyone entering or exiting it." Along with not paying his dues, Hicks' truck was also towed from the property last Wednesday.
Curtis Hicks
