3 Atlanta police officers were shot while responding to a call

Three Atlanta police officers were shot Saturday night while responding to a call, officials said.

The unidentified officers were called to Desoto Avenue SW shortly after 5 p.m. for a call of a man with a gun, Atlanta PD Chief Darin Schierbaum told reporters.

The officers encountered the suspect, who was probably armed with a pistol and a knife, when shots were fired, said Schierbaum.

According to the chief, the unknown suspect was killed in the altercation.

The three responders were taken to Grady Hospital and described as “alert, conscious and breathing,” according to police.

Two of the officers were described as 31-year-olds who had been on the force for four years. The third officer was described as a 28-year-old who had been on the force for five months.

One officer was shot in the shoulder, another was shot in the leg and the other was grazed, Schierbaum said. According to the chief, two of the officers underwent surgery.

The investigations are still ongoing.

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens visited the officers and their families in the hospital.

“My thoughts are with these officers and their families, and we are cooperating fully with this ongoing investigation. “Thank you to the surgeons and staff at Grady Hospital who ensured our officers survived,” he said in a statement.