The Cobb County Police Department has asked the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) to conduct an independent investigation of an incident where Cobb police opened fire on a car, hitting the male driver and a female passenger. The incident unfolded over a time period spanning late Tuesday night and early this morning.
Both of the injured parties are in stable condition at Grady Hospital.
The GBI public information release described the incident as follows:
“The preliminary information indicates, on Tuesday, May 9, 2023, at 11:51 p.m., CCPD officers were responding to 1982 Drennon Avenue in Austell, Cobb County, GA, regarding a 911 call of an armed man. The caller indicated an armed man and an unknown woman were at his home attempting to take his daughter.
“He also stated the man had a gun and is a convicted felon. The caller gave a description of the vehicle they were in. Responding officers saw the described vehicle leaving the area of the incident. Officers attempted to stop the vehicle, but the driver refused to stop.
“Officers chased the vehicle into neighboring Douglas County. CCPD officers performed a PIT maneuver and ended the pursuit on Thornton Road in Lithia Springs. As officers approached the vehicle, the driver, identified as Ricardo Tuggle, age 38, of Douglasville, began reaching under the driver’s seat.
“The responding officers shot Tuggle and during the incident, the woman passenger was also shot. A gun was recovered from inside the vehicle. It has been determined that Tuggle is the biological father of the woman he was trying to take from the Austell home and the 911 caller is the woman’s stepfather.”
The GBI will conduct an independent investigation of the incident. Once complete, the case file will be given to the Douglas Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office for review.
According to the public information release, this is the 37th officer-involved shooting the GBI has been requested to investigate in 2023.