Atlanta police officer injured trying to take suspect into custody
An Atlanta police officer was injured trying to apprehend a suspect overnight.
APD says Dwight Beckett tried to run over & fight w officer apprehending him from car. Officer suffered broken hand #fox5atl @GoodDayAtlanta pic.twitter.com/xWbChXfop3
— Marc Teichner (@mteichnerfox5) February 22, 2017
Police were called out to the parking lot of the Cheshire Motor Inn on Cheshire Bridge Road around 1 a.m. after a citizen, identified as Michael May, spotted what he thought was a stolen vehicle.
Responding officers tried to get Dwight Beckett, the driver of the suspicious vehicle, to roll down the window, but he refused and instead rammed May’s Dodge Charger as well as another vehicle.
Police said Beckett then tried to run over Officer Daniel and leave the scene, but the position of May’s vehicle prevented the suspect from backing out and leaving the location.
Investigators said officers on the scene commanded Beckett to stop and exit the vehicle, but he continued to refuse. That’s when the officers, including Officer Daniel, broke through the burgundy Nissan Altima’s windows, hoping to get the driver out of the car.
Arbre Switzer, who was in the passenger seat inside the Nissan Altima, opened his door and let the officers inside. As they removed Beckett from the car, he started fighting with the officers before he was arrested.
Officer Daniel was injured and taken to Grady Memorial Hospital. He was later released with a possible fractured right hand.
Beckett has been charged with three counts of aggravated assault on police.
Watch as police remained on scene investigating early Wednesday morning.
Switzer was quested and released.
Investigators are now working to determine whether the vehicle was stolen or not.
