ATLANTA — A man wanted by the Georgia Department of Corrections was arrested in connection with a fatal stabbing that occurred on the Atlanta BeltLine Friday night, according to police.
The Atlanta Police Department said officers were called out regarding a person being stabbed around 8 p.m. at 243 Montgomery Ferry Rd NE. When they arrived, police said they found a man dead, stabbed several times. Grady Memorial Hospital EMS pronounced the victim dead at the scene.
Homicide detectives and several discretionary units canvassed the area for a suspect. Officers later saw a man matching the suspect’s description and detained him. The suspect was identified as William Coleman, 27, who officers said was already wanted by the Department of Corrections for escape.
The GDC said that Coleman was housed as a resident at the Atlanta Transitional Center, which works as a community-based program and work-release facility. It is not secured by fencing, the GDC said. The agency also said that Coleman walked out of the facility the morning of Saturday, June 22.
Coleman was taken into custody and transported to Atlanta Police Department Headquarters for further questioning. After further investigation, he was charged with murder, aggravated assault and possession of a knife during the commission of a felony.
Atlanta BeltLine Inc. said earlier in the day that the incident involved two unhoused people. Security camera footage is being used in the investigation. The area was closed as police completed their investigation.
“The safety and well-being of our community are of utmost importance to the BeltLine, and our thoughts are with those affected by this event,” a BeltLine spokesperson said in part.