After Atlanta-Area SWAT Standoff, Crowd Chants: 'Thank You For Not Killing Him'

CLAYTON COUNTY, GA. -- A standoff involving a Clayton County SWAT team and a suspect ended peacefully after the man was apprehended Tuesday, Patch has learned. The incident occurred at the Southside Inn on Old Dixie Highway in Jonesboro.

A man, identified by local media as Timothy Monroe, surrendered to authorities outside the hotel about midday. (SIGN UP: Get Patch's Daily Newsletter and Real Time News Alerts. Or, if you have an iPhone, download the free Patch app.)

As the harrowing situation concluded with the suspect being led out by law enforcement, a crowd that gathered nearby chanted "Thanks for not killing him," according to a reporter's account on social media.

WAGA-TV reporter Christy Hutchings posted an image of the incident, which Monroe partially livestreamed on Facebook, according to news reports.

During the standoff, Monroe allegedly fired 19 shots, striking a police cruiser and a robot deployed by a SWAT team. The incident, which began just after 9 a.m. ended peacefully, but started off on a hard note.

“During negotiations, he stated that he was not going to jail,” police Chief Joseph Woodall said, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Officers responded by firing a beanbag and gas into the room he was in. No one was injured in the incident, authorities said.

The developments began when an officer at the hotel noticed that Monroe's car, which had Texas plates, came up as being stolen. After negotiations ran their course, officers got close enough to Tase Monroe, who reportedly didn't follow verbal commands after entering the parking lot.

“We managed to take him into custody without firing any shots at him,” Woodall was quoted as saying.

Monroe's room was searched by authorities, who found two guns there and a third firearm in his car, the AJC reports.

Image via Pixabay