Chick-fil-A robbery with pepper spray ends in fatal crash, Georgia cops say
A robbery suspect set off a series of events that led to a deadly crash in Atlanta’s Buckhead community, Georgia police told news outlets.
Officers responded at about 8:40 p.m. Monday, April 7, to a robbery at a Chick-fil-A restaurant in nearby Decatur and found several employees who had been pepper sprayed, the DeKalb County Police Department said in an e-mail to McClatchy News.
One worker told police the suspect stole a cash drawer from a drive-thru register and sped off.
Officers with the Atlanta Police Department spotted the car and tried to stop it, but the driver took off, authorities said.
Just after 9:30 p.m., Georgia State Patrol was called to a two-vehicle crash at the intersection of Piedmont and Peachtree roads in Buckhead.
Troopers said the driver of a Volkswagen Jetta led Atlanta police on a brief chase before running a red light and colliding with a Lexus IS2.
The driver of the Lexus died as a result of the crash, troopers said in a news release obtained by McClatchy News.
The victim was identified as Richard O. Wells Jr, 26, of Highland Mills, New York, WAGA reported, citing officials.
Authorities said the suspect’s vehicle, a Volkswagen, had been linked to at least three other robberies in the Atlanta area, including two in DeKalb County and another in Sandy Springs.
The suspect, who wasn’t named publicly, was taken to a hospital for treatment, police said.
McClatchy News reached out to the Atlanta Police Department for more information April 8 and didn’t immediately hear back.
Authorities said the robbery and crash are both under investigation.
This story was originally published April 8, 2025 at 12:26 PM with the headline "Chick-fil-A robbery with pepper spray ends in fatal crash, Georgia cops say."