ATLANTA (TCD) — A convicted felon is facing over 30 charges for allegedly hijacking a bus, killing a passenger, and leading police on a lengthy pursuit through multiple counties.
According to the Atlanta Police Department, on Tuesday, June 11, at 4:30 p.m., officers responded to Ivan Allen Jr. Boulevard Northeast regarding a “possible hostage situation” and gunfire on a bus. The bus drove off when police arrived. The suspect, Joseph Grier, allegedly held the driver at gunpoint and ordered him not to stop.
Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said in a press conference that one of the 17 passengers on the bus made the initial call, but it quickly disconnected. Police received a second 911 call from a passenger’s family member who said there “had been a hijacking, and individuals were being held hostage.” Soon after, another passenger was able to contact police, and that call remained open for the remainder of the incident.
The bus was ultimately stopped in DeKalb County, and the passengers were safely able to exit. Atlanta Police said they found an adult victim with a gunshot wound, and he was transported to a nearby hospital in critical condition. That victim died from his injuries.
In an update, Atlanta Police announced they are charging Grier with one count of murder, 14 counts of aggravated assault, 14 counts of kidnapping, hijacking a motor vehicle, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Schierbaum said in the press conference that Grier has been arrested 19 times, many of which involved use of a handgun.
According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), Grier got on the bus at approximately 4:20 p.m. and started arguing with a passenger. The passenger allegedly pulled out a gun, and Grier took it from him before threatening other people on the bus. Grier allegedly shot the passenger and “ordered the bus driver to flee the scene while threatening passengers with the gun.”
During the pursuit, the bus traveled through Gwinnett and DeKalb counties and hit multiple police cars in the process. The bus sustained a flat tire but continued to drive. The GBI said a Georgia State Patrol trooper used a rifle to shoot at the vehicle’s engine compartment to cause a malfunction.
Not long before the hijacking, Grier was interviewed by WXIA-TV regarding a shooting at Peachtree Center Mall, which police said was not connected. He said early in the interview he has bipolar disorder and was in the “middle of a manic episode.”
He also alluded to not being able to own a gun because he is on parole.
“Right now, I’m in an extreme mode,” he said.