ON THE SCENE: COBB COUNTY

Hourslong Cobb convenience store standoff ends in burglary suspect’s arrest

One person has been arrested after a report of a burglary developed into a massive police presence and SWAT situation in the Cumberland area of Cobb County on Tuesday morning.

A SWAT vehicle and at least 20 uniformed officers were positioned for more than six hours outside a shopping center at the corner of Windy Hill Road and Drachten Drive, which is home to a liquor store, a Wing City restaurant and a Stop & Shop convenience store.

Law enforcement were called around 6 a.m. when a business alarm sounded, according to Cobb police. When officers arrived, they confronted the suspect near the front door of the Stop & Shop, and he retreated inside the business.

At about 9:30 a.m., several heavily armed officers led away the suspect, who was not publicly identified, in handcuffs.

Police stated at that time they were also working to apprehend a second suspect believed to be hiding in an attic. But later Tuesday afternoon, Cobb police spokesperson Aaron Wilson said they no longer suspected a second person was involved. He said the scene was no longer active at around 12:45 p.m.

“(SWAT) cleared the building and located one suspect and continued looking for a possible second suspect,”wilson said. “However, this suspect was the only one captured by store video surveillance and the only one located in the building.”

Firefighters used thermal imaging equipment to look into the ceiling and, at the time, appeared to center their interest between the Stop & Shop and the chicken wing restaurant. They were also seen using a ladder to walk on the roof. At least three different police K-9 units responded during the search.

PHOTOS BY JOHN SPINK/JOHN.SPINK@AJC.COM A SWAT vehicle and at least 20 uniformed officers were positioned for hours at a shopping center Tuesday morning in the Cumberland area of Cobb County at the corner of Windy Hill Road and Drachten Drive. When officers arrived, they confronted a burglary suspect near Stop & Shop, and he retreated inside the business for several hours.

Law enforcers were called around 6 a.m. to a Cobb shopping center when a business alarm sounded. At about 9:30 a.m., heavily armed officers led away the suspect, not publicly identified, in handcuffs. Some westbound lanes of Windy Hill Road were shut down in the initial response before being reopened.