Georgia officer, homeowner shot when police go to wrong house

DEKALB COUNTY, GA (KTRK) -- A police officer is in critical condition and a homeowner recovering from gunshot wounds after officers responded to the wrong home, ABC affiliate WSB-TV reports.

According to the DeKalb County Police Department, responding officers were called to a neighborhood for a report of a suspicious person. Police say the caller did not give a numerical address, only a description of a home where the suspicious person was seen.

Police say the officers found a home they thought fit the description and went to a backyard. That's when police said the shooting took place.

"A lot is yet to be determined here as to what and when shots were fired, how the officer received injuries, how the homeowner received injuries," Alexander said.

The officer was taken to the hospital where they have undergone surgery for a gunshot wound to the leg. The homeowner was also shot in the leg and is expected to be OK.

The homeowner's dog was also killed in the gunfire.

Neighbor Bob Gilman has lived next door to the home where the shooting happened since 1971. He says the neighborhood has seen a lot of crime.

"This is a rough area. We have a lot of crime ... robberies, burglaries, shootings," Gilman said.

Alexander said because of the nature of the investigation, they have handed it over to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

There were a total of three officers that responded to the incident. All of them will be placed on administrative leave pending the results of the investigation.