Joseph Grier, 39, faces a slew of charges after hijacking an Atlanta bus at gunpoint, fatally shooting Earnest Byrd Jr. and leading police on a wild chase through rush hour traffic.
Atlanta police have identified the alleged hijacker who they say held a bus driver at gunpoint and held the remaining 17 commuters hostage as he led police on a 15-mile chase through multiple jurisdictions, along with the passenger he shot dead. Joseph Grier, 39, was taken into custody without incident after a chase that spanned multiple jurisdictions and involved multiple agencies, the Atlanta Police Department wrote in a statement.
According to the Georgia Department of Corrections, Grier was last released from Baldwin State Prison a decade ago after serving time for an aggravated assault in 2011. He has also served time for possession of a knife during a commission of a crime, the agency told Fox 5 Atlanta. Schierbaum also announced the identity of the slain passenger, 58-year-old Earnest Byrd Jr., at the conference.
My God, Lord have mercy, it's Joseph,' she said. 'I feel bad. My heart goes out to the other family, but it could have been so much worse. There were 17 people on that bus. Suppose all of them got shot?' Atlanta Police Zone 5 officers responded to the hostage situation at 45 Ivan Allen Jr. Blvd. NE at approximately 4:35 p.m. As they approached, the bus reportedly fled the location. Seventeen passengers were trapped onboard.
The chase came not long after a gunman opened fire on several people at a food court in downtown Atlanta before an off-duty officer shot him, ending the incident. Fox News Digital's Bradford Betz contributed to this report.
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