Atlanta bus hijacked after suspect allegedly kills passenger: cops

By IE Staff

First published: 3:26 p.m. PDT, June 12, 2024

A city bus in Atlanta was hijacked Tuesday evening after the suspect allegedly killed a person, authorities said.

More than 50 police vehicles from Atlanta were pursuing the bus. The suspect had a gun to the head of the bus driver after he allegedly shot and killed a bus passenger with whom he had argued, according to authorities.

There were 14 other passengers on board.

“We believe there was an altercation on the bus and the hijacker disarmed a citizen, then used that weapon to injure a passenger, then used that weapon to force the driver to do what we saw it done,” said Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum. at a press conference.

Police tried to stop the bus by throwing strips of nails to flatten the tires, but it continued, hitting other cars and driving through a barricade of police cars.

“You have an individual who says, ‘If you stop this bus, I’m going to kill the driver,’ which means the whole bus could overturn, go over a ditch or cross a bridge and everyone could die ” Atlanta said. » said Mayor Andre Dickens during the press conference.

The incident began in downtown Atlanta. Police said the bus driver was then forced onto the Downtown Connector before heading north on Interstate 85.

“The individual very boldly commented, ‘I’m bipolar, I’m bipolar, so don’t mess with me,’ and so many words when he was on the bus,” Dickens said.

The bus was ultimately struck by an armor-linked Bearcat SWAT vehicle.

Joseph Grier, 39, was taken into custody.

“Our concern is why did he disarm an individual and what did he do and we’re going to hold him accountable,” Schierbaum said.

The alleged killer said he also witnessed a mass shooting at an Atlanta food court before getting on the bus. He was interviewed about the incident on local television. Police say there is no connection between the mass shooting and what happened on the bus.

The other passengers were not physically injured.

Authorities say Grier, who has 19 prior felony arrests, will be charged with murder, among other offenses.

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