CRIME

Authorities released name of woman fatally shot by Atlanta officers in back of police car

Associated Press
Published | Updated

An Atlanta Police car with broken windows and a bullet hole in the windshield sits on Pryor Street in Atlanta, Thursday, April 30, 2015. Police say officers fatally shot a woman who first fired at them while sitting in the back of a patrol car in Atlanta. (Ben Gray/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP) (The Associated Press)

An Atlanta Police officer investigates the scene of a shooting Thursday, April 30, 2015, in Atlanta. Police say officers fatally shot a woman who first fired at them while sitting in the back of a patrol car in Atlanta. (Ben Gray/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP) (The Associated Press)

Atlanta Police investigate the scene of a shooting Thursday, April 30, 2015, in Atlanta. Police say officers fatally shot a woman who first fired at them while sitting in the back of a patrol car in Atlanta. (Ben Gray/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP) (The Associated Press)

Authorities have released the name of a woman who was fatally shot when officers say she fired at them from the back of a patrol car in downtown Atlanta.

The Fulton County medical examiner's office on Friday identified the woman as 25-year-old Alexia Christian.

Major Darin Schierbaum said Thursday that two officers took her into custody when they saw her sitting in a stolen car in a parking deck.

He said the woman fired at the officers from the back of the patrol car. Schierbaum said the officers returned fire, critically wounding her. She died at a hospital.

Schierbaum said it's unclear how the woman had a gun in the patrol car. Police are investigating whether she had been handcuffed.

Department spokesman Greg Lyon said the two officers weren't injured.