The Teens
Around 9:30 last night at work I was driving eastbound on Roswell Road approaching East Cobb Park, when I noticed several cars in the rear corner with teens standing around. I turned into the parking lot and headed towards the teens. They were each holding plastic cups. When I came into view they all simultaneously tossed the contents of their cups into the grass. By the time I pulled up next to them (and parked strategically behind three cars), the cups were on the ground as well. I told the dispatcher that I was out of my car with a group of teens at East Cobb Park.
Me: Hey, what are you guys doing?
Teens: We’re just hanging out.
Me: What did everyone dump out as I pulled up?
Teens: Nothing… What are you talking about?
Me: Seriously. I saw everyone dump the contents of those cups onto the ground, and now you’ve littered by throwing the cups on the ground.
I walked over to the cups on the ground and picked one up.
Me: Why is this cup still cold, and why does it smell like beer?
I was getting blank stares from everyone. None of them were talking at this point, just kind of looking around at each other trying to figure out what to do. I was now at an angle that I could see under the car.
Me: Why are there beer cans and cups under the car?
Teens: We just got here. Those must have been there when we pulled up.
Me: There is a can in front of your rear tire. Are you saying that you didn’t run over that can when you pulled into the parking space?
Teens: Well… Um…
Me: IDs. Everyone.
At this point a tone is played over the radio. A tone is just a long beep. The tone is played before a very serious call is dispatched on the radio. It’s used for armed robberies, shootings, stabbings, burglaries in progress, and officer down calls. We get quite a few burglary in progress calls where someone says that they hear someone in their house. When we get there we find out that they were just hearing things. When a tone is played, we usually assume it’s a bogus burglary in progress.
Dispatch: 4316, copy a signal 50.
Translation: 4316 (my beat partner’s radio number) copy a signal 50 (shooting).
Me to the teens: You guys are lucky! Someone just got shot! I gotta go!
Teens: What?! Seriously?! Sorry!
I turned on my lights and siren and peeled out of the parking lot.
The Shooting
The woman that called 911 was simply making a u-turn in a church parking lot when she saw a man laying on the ground. She checked for a pulse, saw a bullet hole, and called 911.
I arrived on scene shortly after to find the fire department giving CPR to a young white male laying in a church parking lot. He had a bullet wound to his lower abdomen, and didn’t appear to be alive. When the ambulance arrived they loaded him up and took off. After he was gone and we had a chance to look at the scene. The first thing that I noticed was that there was no blood on the ground. Not a drop. We couldn’t find a shell casing anywhere. It appeared that he was shot somewhere else and dropped in the parking lot.
I took the role of making the crime scene log. When there’s a major crime, we log everyone that enters the crime scene. It’s a boring job, but it’s important. I had to stay there until the next shift could relieve me. The media showed up after everyone but the detectives had left. I’ve been on TV three times that I know of. I’m always standing around doing nothing. Which is usually all you can do by the time they show up. All of the exciting stuff is already done. I’m not sure if they played the story or not.
I got home at 1:00 AM. I had called Michelle just before I went out with the teens in the park. I told her that it had been a slow night, and that I should be home at a reasonable time. 
Update: June 18, 2008 | 11:55 PM
This is a press release from the department:
The Cobb County Police Department’s Crimes Against Persons Unit is investigating a homicide which occurred at 835 Powers Ferry Road in Marietta, Georgia.
According to investigators, the Uniform Division of Zone 4 was dispatched to the Powers Ferry Church of Christ in reference to a male who was found lying in the parking lot. When uniform officers arrived they discovered that 17 year old Joel Ray Andresen of Marietta, Georgia had been shot. The victim was transported by ambulance to Wellstar Kennestone Hospital where he was pronounced deceased.
***UPDATE***
The Cobb County Police Department’s Crimes Against Persons Unit is updating information regarding the homicide which occurred last night at 2136 hours.
As a result of a tip (from a person who watched the various news coverage overnight), Cobb County investigators along with detectives from the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Department developed information on the homicide suspect responsible for the death of 17 year old Joel Ray Andresen of Marietta, Georgia.
At approximately 1430 hours this afternoon, investigators were conducting surveillance on the suspect’s residence, when he was observed driving his black 2003 Acura on Baker Road in north Cobb County. As detectives were asking for assistance from the Uniform Division to stop the vehicle, the suspect pulled into the parking lot of a Texaco station off Wade Green Road. As detectives started to approach the car, the suspect along his female passenger fled southbound on I-75 in the Acura. While the pursuit headed southbound on I-75, to help protect the public from harm, police units from Marietta and Cobb blocked the various entrance ramps to the interstate. The suspect eventually exited onto westbound Windy Hill Road to southbound Cobb Parkway. As the suspect approached the entrance ramp from southbound Cobb Parkway to westbound I-285, he struck a police car. After striking the cruiser, the Acura continued southbound, eventually coming to rest on Cobb Parkway under the I-285 overpass.
After a brief confrontation with officers, the suspect identified as 28 year old Lester James Smith (Jr.) of Acworth, Georgia was taken into custody without further incident. He was not injured and currently resides at the Cobb County Adult Detention Center after being charged with Felony Murder, Convicted Felon in Possession of a Firearm, Armed Robbery and Attempting to Elude (Felony).
The female passenger was not injured in the crash and is an acquaintance of the suspect. She will not be charged in the case.
Esther sent me a link to this news clip which features me putting up a police line. I had already lined off the area, but when the media showed up I expanded the crime scene. I also turned on the blue lights on my car so they would have something pretty to look at. They got most of the details wrong in the first story.
WSB-TV Original Story
WSB-TV Story about the Pursuit
