A routine shoplifting call at Perimeter Mall turned ugly Friday when a Dunwoody police officer was bitten and another was spat on while arresting a woman outside the Dillard’s department store. One officer ended the day in a hospital instead of back at the precinct, and the suspect ended it in handcuffs.
What police say
According to WSB-TV, officers responded to a shoplifting call at the Dillard’s inside Perimeter Mall when the suspect bolted from the store. Police later tracked her down, but the arrest did not go quietly. When officers moved in, the woman allegedly bit one officer and spat in the face of another.
The officer who was bitten was taken to a hospital for treatment, according to WSB-TV. The suspect was not injured, was arrested at the scene, and has not been publicly identified. Police have not released her name or detailed the charges she may face.
At Perimeter Mall
According to Perimeter Mall, Dillard’s serves as one of the anchor stores at 4400 Ashford Dunwoody Road. Retail theft and tense confrontations have periodically put the sprawling shopping center on law enforcement’s radar, and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has documented earlier incidents and police operations in the Perimeter area.
Mall officials and local police typically remind shoppers to follow store staff and officer instructions whenever an incident breaks out on site, a straightforward way to keep a bad situation from getting worse.
Legal implications
Under Georgia law, assaulting a police officer is no minor add-on charge. Aggravated assault on a public safety officer is addressed in Georgia Code 16-5-21, which lays out enhanced penalties that can escalate depending on the circumstances.
Whether prosecutors will pursue aggravated assault or other charges will hinge on the outcome of the investigation and the extent of the injured officer’s condition. As of the latest available reports, police have not released formal charging information.
