A former Marine turned the tables on his attackers, killing one and wounding another with a knife as they tried to rob him, police said. Thomas Autry was walking to his girlfriend's home from his job waiting tables at a restaurant in Midtown Atlanta around 11 p.m. Monday when he was approached by five people in a car, Atlanta police detective Danny Stephens said.
Autry began running down the street yelling for help as four people in the car got out and chased him. One of the attackers had a shotgun and another had a pistol, Stephens said. The suspects eventually caught up with Autry. But Autry, who managed to pull a knife out of his backpack, kicked the shotgun out of one of the attacker's hands. He then stabbed a teenage girl who jumped on him and a man who attacked him.
The suspects ran back to their car and fled ran away drove off. Police found them later at a hospital, where the teenage girl, who was pregnant, was pronounced dead. Another man was in critical condition, Stephens said.
Stephens credited Autry's military training with helping him fend off his attackers, who are suspected of having committed other robberies in the area over the last week. "I would say he had to do what he had to do to stop the threat," Stephens said. "You can tell his training kicked in and he knew what to do."
| The perps still alive learned a lesson, to be contemplated while serving time in the slammer. |
The suspects will face robbery and aggravated assault charges, Stephens said. With the suspects in custody, police now expect to solve other recent robberies. "One of these guys confessed to me that they were robbing people all week long," he said.
Autry, who will not be charged, suffered a cut to his hand and a bruise on his chest, Stephens said. Stephens also said Autry was very remorseful over the incident.
| Once a Marine, always a Marine. |
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