DEKALB COUNTY, GA -- A manhunt is underway in the south DeKalb County community of Ellenwood, where a police officer was shot Wednesday afternoon near the intersection of Bouldercrest and River roads.
DeKalb County public safety director William Miller says the officer, Jerome Tillery, was responding to reports of a shooting when he began following a suspicious truck. Miller originally said three people jumped from the truck and one shot Tillery as he chased them on foot.
Only one suspect has been named, 26-year-old Derrick Frye. He is described as 5 feet 10 inches tall and 180 pounds. Police say Frye has a criminal history including weapons and drug charges, so if you see him, do not approach him but call 911. He faces three counts of aggravated assault.
Police spokeswoman Mekka Parish said Officer Tillery is in serious but stable condition at Atlanta's Grady Memorial Hospital, suffering from a gunshot wound to his left arm after the bullet ricocheted off of his vest.
His cousin Tony Blake told 11Alive News that Tillery has only been on the force for a few years. "I was always concerned about his safety and told him to be safe," Blake said after leaving the hospital. "I was shocked when I got the news."
Tillery is married and a father of a young son. His family is at his side at the hospital.
