Atlanta, GA
Dramatic Atlanta police chase ends in high-speed crash, 3 children rescued unharmed
ATLANTA – Dramatic video released by Atlanta police shows a high-speed chase and crash involving a man with at least 37 previous arrests who ran from officers with three children in an SUV.
It started just after 12:15 p.m. on Dec. 20, 2023, at a gas station along Jonesboro Road SE near Interstate 285. Surveillance video shows how it all began.
“A male opened fire at a gas station while multiple people were outside,” said Officer Torez Griffie with the Atlanta Police Department.
Witnesses at the scene recounted that a man, driving a gray Jeep Cherokee, had fired shots towards a building before hastily fleeing the location. Fortunately, despite several people in the vicinity, no one was injured, and the shots only left damage to the property.
“I saw the vehicle matching the description.” Officer Griffie said. “He was driving erratic, crazy, all over the road.”
Officers were able to quickly issue a lookout bulletin for the SUV. Units were able to catch up with the SUV about a block away, in a fast-food drive-thru.
The driver, later identified as 39-year-old William Burris, ignored the traffic stop. After releasing a passenger from the vehicle, Burris sped off. She was frantic. Police say her children, ages 8, 7 and 4 were still in the vehicle. “She just started hollering and screaming,” Griffie said.
3 kids in car during high-speed chase of repeat offender
William Burris, a convicted felon with an extensive criminal history totaling 37 previous arrest cycles, was taken into custody after high-speed police chase on Dec. 20, 2023. This video is provided by the Atlanta Police Department.
Griffie said the driver led him and other officers through Atlanta, into Forest Park and back into Atlanta.
“The driver was driving extremely recklessly, high rates of speed throughout city streets,” Griffie said.
The vehicle ended up in the area of 2000 Lakewood Ave. The suspect swerved in front of an officer, contacting the front driver-side of the patrol vehicle and effectively executing a PIT maneuver on himself. The SUV slammed through a utility pole, snapping it into pieces and ended up in a grassy area off the roadway.
“I tried to set up for a PIT maneuver. He maneuvered himself in front of me, trying to avoid the pit maneuver, and he spun out,” Griffie said.
Officers discovered the three young children inside the SUV. The children were promptly moved to a place of safety for medical evaluation due to complaints of pain.
“My heart dropped when I saw those children.” Griffie said. “I just wanted make sure that they were safe.”
Meanwhile, officers worked to extract Burris from the vehicle.
Officers, pointing Tasers at Burris, pulled him from the front of the SUV and out of the driver-side door. He was then placed in handcuffs and led away.
William Burris, a convicted felon with an extensive criminal history totaling 37 previous arrest cycles, was taken into custody. A firearm was recovered from the passenger area of the suspect’s vehicle.
Burris now faces a litany of charges, including fleeing and eluding, driving while license suspended, possession of marijuana, possession of a controlled substance, two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of a firearm during the commission of certain felonies, three counts of kidnapping, three counts of first degree cruelty to children, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, second-degree criminal damage to property, and failure to report striking a fixed object.
He initially was taken to the Grady Detention Center for treatment for injuries he received in the crash, but was later booked into the Fulton County Jail.
ATLANTA – Drivers in Midtown Atlanta should prepare for traffic changes this week as a new roadwork project begins along 10th Street.
What we know:
The Atlanta Department of Watershed Management said part of 10th Street will close starting Wednesday for sewer repairs.
The construction will impact the eastbound lane between Charles Allen Drive and Monroe Drive.
Officials said the repair project is expected to continue for about four weeks.
Crews will work overnight on weekdays from 5 p.m. until 5 a.m. Construction activity will continue around the clock on weekends until the project is complete.
What you can do:
Motorists traveling through Midtown are encouraged to plan ahead and expect delays in the area during the closure.
Atlanta, GA
Three Biggest Questions Facing the Atlanta Hawks Following the NBA Draft Lottery Results
The 2026 NBA Draft has come and gone, and while the results did not go the way that the Atlanta Hawks had hoped, landing at No. 8 overall, but they are still getting a top-eight pick in a deep draft when they are coming off a season in which they won 46 games and made the playoffs. Atlanta had hoped that having the most favorable selection from the Pelicans and Bucks would turn into a top-four pick, but they are going to get a chance to add to their young core with a high-level talent.
Now that the NBA Draft Lottery is over, what are some questions facing the Hawks?
1. Who could they take with the pick?
We will get into other scenarios later, but for this exercise, let’s just assume that the Hawks are going to stick at No. 8 and make a selection.
While the top four picks are likely going to be (in some order) AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer, and Caleb Wilson, the rest of the draft does not seem to be as certain.
There is a popular sentiment that the quarter of guards consisting of Keaton Wagler, Darius Acuff, Kingston Flemings, and Mikel Brown Jr are going to be picks 5-8, but that is not as much of a certainity as the top four.
The Clippers are picking 5th, but they just made a big trade for Darius Garland. Brooklyn just took four guards in last year’s draft, and the Kings are always a wild card, though of these teams, they have the biggest need at guard and don’t seem likely to veer from that.
In the NBA, needs is usually ignored in the draft and the best player available is taken most of the time, but it will be interesting to see which players the Clippers, Nets, and Kings decide on.
If those teams do take three of those guards, the Hawks would have their choice of whoever is left over from that group or players such as Michigan center Aday Mara, Arizona guard Brayden Burries, or Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg.
2. Could the Hawks move up or down in the draft?
While I think as of right now that the most likely scenario is that the Hawks stay put at No. 8, they do have some interesting options to potentially move up or down depending on how things fall.
As I mentioned earlier, the Clippers just traded for Darius Garland and if the Hawks wanted to get ahead of the Kings and Nets to land the guard of their choice, they could try and put together an attractive package to try and make a trade with Los Angeles.
The Nets seem less likely to move down, but after taking four guards in last year’s draft, could they move down and try to target another position?
What about a trade down? If the Hawks had been at No. 7 or in the top four, I would say a trade down is unlikely, but at No. 8, there could be an opportunity there for Hawks general manager Onsi Saleh. Would Oklahoma City be interested in moving No. 12 and No. 17 for No. 8? That would give the Hawks three first round picks and if they like a player that could be in that range, that would be a possibility, though all of this is just hypothetical at the moment.
3. Do the Hawks attempt to move the No. 8 pick for an established star?
Saleh has been adamnat that the team is not one player away and that the Hawks wanted to add through the draft, but even in a draft as deep as this one, the odds of getting a star player at No. 8 are long.
It is tough to really gauge the trade market for this offseason right now, but the No. 8 pick is an attractive asset. Could the Hawks try to trade for Celtics star Jaylen Brown? Again, it is tough to know who else could be available this summer and I would bet against the Hawks moving this pick for a veteran player, but never say never in the NBA.
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On a sad day overall for Braves Country, due to the passing of the legendary Bobby Cox, Spencer Strider gave Atlanta fans something to be happy and hopeful about with a stellar outing, shutting down the Dodgers potent offense for 6.0 innings with 8 strikeouts and 15 whiffs. He looked as good as he has in a long time. His fastball averaged 96.4 MPH, with 17 inches of induced vertical break and he had four pitches working nicely together. Even if Strider doesn’t quite return to his Jacob deGrom levels of dominance, having him as a true #1 or #2 quality starter would make a huge difference for this Braves team to pair with Chris Sale. Bryce Elder has been great this season, but shouldn’t be the second best starter in the rotation of a World Series contender. If Strider can keep something like Saturday night’s version of himself moving forward, that’s a huge development for him and this team.
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