CHIEF VOWS TO REVIEW SHOOTING

Five days after an elderly woman was killed in a gunbattle that left
three officers wounded, Atlanta police Chief Richard Pennington said
Sunday night his department will review its policy on "no knock"
warrants and its use of confidential informants.

Speaking for the first time since the Tuesday night shooting death of
Kathryn Johnston at her home in northwest Atlanta, Pennington said
his office "will turn over every stone to make sure we get to the
reason why this tragic incident happened."

Pennington provided little new information on what led to the
confrontation at 933 Neal St. when narcotics officers seeking to
serve a warrant broke down the front door and exchanged gunfire with Johnston.

Earlier that day, a man named "Sam" had sold drugs from inside the
house to an informant, police said, prompting officers to seek a
"no-knock" warrant. Such warrants are frequently issued so police can
get inside a home before suspects can destroy or flush drugs.

Johnston -- described by neighbors and family as a frightened woman
who had burglar bars on her windows and door and rarely let friends
and neighbors into her home -- had lived at the one-story brick home
near the Georgia Dome for 17 years.

The police chief said officers found marijuana inside the house but
"not a large quantity." Previously, police only said drugs were
seized at Johnston's home.

Pennington was out of town last week for the Thanksgiving holiday and
said he was unable to get a flight back to Atlanta earlier. He said
he had not talked to the officers involved in the shooting, but he
had been briefed by his commanders.

The chief said he did not know the contents of the sworn statement
that police provided to a judge to obtain the warrant. "I will have
it [Monday]," he said.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation, at the request of the Fulton
County District Attorney's Office, is looking into the incident,
including examining the home to determine how many gunshots were
fired in the confrontation. GBI spokesman John Bankhead said it will
take several more weeks before results are available.

Pennington spoke with reporters at Lindsay Street Baptist Church
after a meeting with civil rights activist the Rev. Markell Hutchins.

Hutchins leaves for Washington this morning to deliver a letter to
the U.S. Justice Department calling for a federal investigation into
"what we believe are at worst, gross violations of this woman's life,
and at best, poor judgment on the part of the police officers."

Pennington said he welcomes any investigation into the shooting.

Sunday night, Hutchins said he was satisfied with what Pennington
shared, citing a law enforcement agency's "right to protect the
integrity of its investigation."

"I did not ask him any confidential questions that I should not be
privy to," he said. "I appreciated that he came down to reassure us
that he will do everything that needs to be done to look into this."

Johnston's family could not be reached for comment. Hutchins, who is
acting as their spokesman, said he had not had a chance to speak with
them after he met with Pennington.

Also Sunday, the Fulton County Medical Examiner's Office corrected
reports on Johnston's age. The family had said that Johnston was 92,
but the medical examiner's office said records show she was 88.

Police described their suspect as a 6-foot-tall man weighing 250 to
260 pounds. Johnston's niece, Sarah Dozier, has said her aunt lived alone.

The officers were not wearing uniforms but had on bulletproof vests
with "Police" emblazoned across the front and back. And they
identified themselves as they burst through the doors, police said.

Johnston grabbed a rusty six-shot revolver and emptied it. Five shots
struck the officers, hitting one of them three times. The other two
were each hit once. The officers returned fire, shooting Johnston
twice in the chest and elsewhere, police have said.

The three officers were released from the hospital the next day. They
are on leave with pay.

Funeral plans for Johnston have not been made.

Staff writer Jeffry Scott contributed to this article.