A Clayton County police officer was hospitalized Wednesday afternoon after being dragged by a vehicle during a traffic stop near Garden Walk Boulevard and Medical Center Drive, close to Charles R. Drew High School. The driver took off with the officer still attached to the car, according to authorities, before the officer was rushed to the hospital for treatment.
Officer Hospitalized After Being Dragged Near Medical Center Drive
According to Atlanta News First, the officer was injured after being dragged by the vehicle during the traffic stop and was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital. The outlet reported the officer's injuries as non-life-threatening, while FOX 5 Atlanta reported that the department described the injuries as minor, affecting the officer's head and body. Both outlets note that the full extent of those injuries had not been confirmed as of Wednesday.
FOX 5 Atlanta, which first aired video from the scene, reported that the incident happened around 2:15 p.m. at the intersection of Garden Walk Boulevard and Medical Center Drive, placing it just outside Charles R. Drew High School. The station's report adds that authorities had not released the officer's name, and no description of the driver or vehicle had been made public.
Marshals Join Search as Officer Remains Unidentified
The officer has not been identified publicly, the same Atlanta News First report notes, and the U.S. Marshals Service is now involved in the search for the suspected driver. No further details on the driver's identity or custody status have been confirmed in connection with this case.
A separate wire report from the Associated Press noted that a Georgia man accused of dragging an officer with a car had surrendered, though that report does not establish a direct connection to the Clayton County incident described here.
A Pattern of Dangerous Traffic Stops in the Metro Area
Wednesday's incident echoes another case this year in Covington, where an officer was dragged several hundred yards during a traffic stop at a QuikTrip on Highway 142 before the car turned and threw the officer off, according to the earlier Atlanta News First report. That stop had stemmed from a shoplifting call at a Walmart, and the officer was hospitalized in stable condition at Grady Memorial before being released the same night. Police in that case later tracked down and arrested the suspect at an apartment complex using surveillance footage.
No updates on the Clayton County officer's condition, the driver's identity, or any charges have been released since Wednesday's traffic stop. The investigation remains active, with the U.S. Marshals Service continuing to assist in the search for the driver.
