A 13-year-old boy managed to escape police custody by stealing an East Point police patrol car while in handcuffs Wednesday morning.
He was captured later after officers used tear gas to force him out of a house during a police standoff, according to Atlanta police.
Around 9 a.m., Atlanta police officers were notified that an East Point patrol car had been stolen and an East Point officer had tracked it into Atlanta.
The vehicle was found abandoned on Mozley Place and Atlanta officers assisted East Point in the search for the juvenile suspect, police spokesman Sgt. Greg Lyon said.
An East Point police officer attempted to make a traffic stop on a vehicle being driven by the suspect.
“The suspect fled and drove into the City of Atlanta where he caused an accident,” Sgt. Lyon said. “East Point police took him into custody, however, he was somehow able to steal the officer’s patrol car even though he was handcuffed.”
Somehow the 13-year-old was able to get from back of the car and into the front, police said.
Police used the GPS device installed on the car to find it, and Atlanta police traced it to southwest Atlanta near Mozley Park on Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive.
A lookout was announced for the 13-year-old who was tracked to his home on Gideon’s Drive where the boy locked himself inside, Sgt. Lyon said.
Atlanta police negotiators and the SWAT team were called to the location while arrest and search warrants were obtained.
“Attempts to communicate with the suspect inside were futile and a decision was made to deploy tear gas,” Sgt. Lyon said. “Several canisters of tear gas were fired into the home and the suspect eventually emerged and surrendered without incident.”
Around 2 p.m., the boy was placed in the custody of East Point police.
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