A 70-year-old retired doctor was arrested Tuesday after an hours-long standoff with police at the Four Seasons in Atlanta where he allegedly pointed a gun at an employee.
Dr. Jay Berger, a former eye care specialist, is being charged with aggravated assault but is expected to face more charges.
Around 10:12 a.m., the Atlanta Police Department responded to a call from the residential manager that Berger, a building resident, was throwing objects into the hallway on the 33rd floor.
The manager claimed he went up to the floor to confront Berger when he allegedly pointed a gun at him, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said in a news release.
The Four Seasons Hotel released a statement clarifying that the incident took place in a residential condominium, which is separate from the hotel and managed independently.
A spokesperson for Four Seasons locations in the Americas told NBC News in an email that the incident happened outside the hotel’s portion of the high-rise, in a residential condominium that the hospitality company does not manage.
“We are truly grateful for the swift response of the Atlanta Police Department and can confirm the hotel and surrounding area is now open. As always, the safety and security of our guests and employees is our top priority,” the statement read.
Newsweek has contacted the Four Seasons, GBI, and Atlanta PD for further comment.
Once officers arrived, Berger barricaded himself inside his apartment. The SWAT team arrived and Berger allegedly started firing gunshots at them through the apartment walls, with one SWAT officer shooting back.
Berger then went out to the balcony of his apartment and started throwing items off of it. A SWAT sniper ended the standoff by shooting at Berger, injuring him.
Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said during a press conference that officers saw Berger throw at least one weapon off the balcony. They estimate Berger filed a total of 15 rounds.
Authorities saw Berger raise his hands as if he were surrendering and then entered his apartment to arrest him without further incident. He was taken out of the building on a stretcher.
Berger and one SWAT officer sustained non-life-threatening injuries and were taken to Grady Hospital for treatment. Berger will be taken to the Fulton County jail upon his release.
Schierbaum described the incident as a mental health emergency and praised his officers for ending the incident without any fatalities.
“We saw bravery,” he said in a press conference. “We saw an effort made to preserve life.”
Records from the Georgia Composite Medical Board show Berger has been certified since 1984. Berger practiced in Atlanta from 2011 to 2021 in Fulton County.
Residents felt something was off early Tuesday when they noticed Berger leaning out a 33rd-floor window, wearing a gas mask and waving two American flags. He was reportedly pointing at people below and at one point, gave a thumbs-up.
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