Officer dragged during traffic stop out of hospital

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. - A DeKalb County police officer has been discharged from the hospital after being dragged and thrown from a car during a traffic stop Tuesday afternoon. 

According to the DeKalb County Police Department, Master Police Officer Kareem Rhone, 35, pulled over an SUV at Capistrana Way and White Oak around 4 p.m. Tuesday, and got into some sort of physical altercation with the driver of the vehicle.

“The officer was dragged and thrown from the vehicle. He did suffer minor head injuries and was transported to an area hospital,” said Shiera Campbell with the DeKalb County Police Department.

Rhone was rushed to Grady Memorial Hospital in stable condition. He suffered head injuries with contusions to his head, and also had minor scrapes and bruises on his arms as well as hands. 

The 8-year police veteran has since been released from the hospital. 

Ellis Glover said it was a dramatically dangerous turn of events. Glover said he saw what appeared to be a traffic stop of a silver SUV suddenly change into an officer being dragged about 50 feet by the SUV.

“It looked like a normal traffic stop and the next thing you know the car took off hit the cop, dragged him a bit, and he was laid out, his head open and bleeding,” said Glover.

Glover said several other officers immediately responded just after the SUV took off.

“They responded really fast, which is good you know, it's what needed to happen,” said Campbell.

After the incident, surrounding streets were blocked off as police searched for the suspects. 

Police said a man and woman, who were in the SUV, were arrested a short time later. A third suspect, a man, was arrested about two and half hours later with the help of police K-9s and SWAT.

The names and charges of those arrested have not yet been released. It is unclear why the SUV sped away.