Man having “mental crisis” tased in metro mall, customers mistake Taser sound for gunshots

CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. — An incident at Southlake Mall involving police caused a major scare among shoppers.

Morrow police said that at 2:53 p.m., officers went to the Southlake Mall because of a disturbance. When they arrived at the mall, they were met by a man they said may have been having a mental health crisis.

Police said the man, identified as 31-year-old Darius Dixon, was threatening to “blow up the place” while acting like he was armed.

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Officers said they made contact with Dixon at the upper entrance of a Macy’s inside the mall. Dixon reached for something at his waist as he covered his waist with a shoebox. It was then that an officer began ordering him to drop the box and show his hands while the officer pointed a Taser at him.

Police said Dixon failed to follow the officer’s orders, so the officer knocked the box out of Dixon’s hands, electrocuting him. Dixon was later arrested.

Due to the loud bursts from the Taser, customers in and near Macy’s thought someone was shooting and ran out of the store.

Police said customers were reassured they were safe and re-entered the store.

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Police said a miscommunication resulted in a gunshots call and prompted multiple agencies to respond to the mall. Morrow police told dispatch there was no shots fired and they had just requested more crowd control officers.

According to police, Dixon faces two counts of making terroristic threats, one count of simple assault on a law enforcement officer, and two counts of obstruction: failing to comply with initial verbal orders and then resisting arrest after being electrocuted.

As police interviewed the suspect about the incident, Dixon spat in the face of an officer.

Police provided a photo of Dixon, who now has dreadlocks. He is currently being held in the Clayton County Jail.

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