A Georgia State Patrol trooper was assaulted Saturday evening in northwest Atlanta while trying to stop a suspected shoplifter, authorities said. The trooper suffered minor injuries that did not require medical treatment, and the suspect was arrested after a foot chase that went down into a nearby ravine. The confrontation started outside a Family Dollar on Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway and remains under investigation.
Trooper flagged down outside Family Dollar
According to FOX 5 Atlanta, the trooper was driving along Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway around 7:14 p.m. Saturday when a store security guard flagged him down outside the Family Dollar at 824 Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway. The guard reported that a man had assaulted her and another guard, then left with a shopping cart loaded with stolen items.
The trooper soon spotted a man matching that description on Paines Avenue, still pushing a cart. While the trooper was seated in his patrol car, the suspect allegedly struck him several times through the open window, causing the minor injuries and prompting the trooper to draw his service weapon. The suspect ran, jumped into a ravine during the chase, and kept going until additional Atlanta police officers found him nearby and helped take him into custody.
Violent incidents along Hollowell Parkway
Local reporting shows that this stretch of Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway has seen several violent incidents in recent months, including a late-night shooting near a Shell station and a corner-store gunfight that brought a heavy police response. Those episodes have left merchants and residents concerned about what is happening along the corridor.
Hoodline covered the June 4 Shell station shooting in a piece titled Shell Station stickup and reported on similar gunfire at a convenience store in May in Corner-store gunfire. Those reports do not show any direct connection to Saturday's arrest, but they do highlight heightened police activity in the area.
Investigation and next steps
Per FOX 5 Atlanta, the Atlanta Police Department is handling the theft and assault allegations involving the store security guards, while the Georgia State Patrol conducts its own separate investigation. The suspect remained in the Fulton County Jail on felony warrants obtained after the arrest, and authorities said he already had active warrants in Fulton County when he was taken into custody.
Investigators have not released the suspect's name or full list of charges. Anyone with information is asked to contact Atlanta police as the inquiry moves forward.
