Marietta authorities are on the hunt for a man they say clipped a police cruiser with his vehicle and fled nearly two weeks back. According to FOX 5 Atlanta, Artavian Leon Brown, a 32-year-old Marietta local, is accused of sideswiping a marked patrol car on I-75 at around 2:40 a.m. on May 19, 2024 and then taking off, only to allegedly ditch his vehicle's license plate later.
Despite their cruiser being hit, the two officers inside, responding to an unrelated accident at the time of the incident, were able to escape serious harm. Described at large as of Tuesday afternoon, police stated that Brown kept driving after the sideswipe occurred and the officers were subsequently sent to the hospital but were not seriously injured, per information sourced by Patch.com.
The Marietta Police Department has slapped Brown with a felony and eight misdemeanors in relation to the hit-and-run, including criminal interference with government property, failure to move over, headlight violation, and reckless driving, among other charges. Despite their extensive manhunt and repeated calls for the public's assistance, his whereabouts still remain a mystery.
The investigation gained some traction thanks to the Cobb County Real Time Crime Center, which helped identify Brown's white Lexus SUV. It was captured on video footage in Gwinnett County, which the police say, was seen with its license plate removed after the patrol car was side-swiped. Those with any knowledge of Brown’s current location are urged to notify MPD STEP Investigator C. Roper at 770-794-5357.
