Investigators: Atlanta officer shot kidnap suspect in leg

ATLANTA – An Atlanta police officer shot a kidnapping suspect in the leg following a chase early Tuesday, authorities said.

A woman was kidnapped Monday night in East Point and her sons got cellphone messages demanding a $100,000 ransom, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said in a news release. Atlanta police spotted the suspects’ vehicle with the woman inside early Tuesday and gave chase, police told WSB-TV.

The vehicle driven by a suspect crashed in southeast Atlanta, and an officer shot one suspect, 23-year-old Terenzio McCurty, when he emerged from the vehicle with a handgun, the GBI said.

Five suspects fled on foot. McCurty and another suspect, John Penceil, 50, were quickly caught. Another suspect, Joshua Fowler, 25, was found hiding in a nearby dumpster, and 43-year-old Demetrius Sims was found and taken into custody several hours later, the GBI said. Local news media outlets report that a fifth suspect is still at large.

McCurty was treated at the scene for his gunshot wound and then was taken to a hospital where he was in stable condition, the GBI said.

It was not immediately clear Tuesday whether any of the suspects had a lawyer who could comment.

The woman had been pistol whipped and was taken to a hospital for treatment, local media reported.

East Point police are investigating the alleged kidnapping, and the GBI is looking into the officer-involved shooting.