FOX 5 Atlanta photo
ATLANTA - A suspected shoplifter is facing charges after authorities say he assaulted a Georgia State Patrol trooper and fled on foot before being captured in northwest Atlanta.
What we know:
According to the Georgia State Patrol, a trooper was traveling on Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway around 7:14 p.m. Saturday when a security guard flagged him down outside a Family Dollar store at 824 Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway.
The security guard told the trooper that a man had assaulted her and another security guard before leaving the store with a shopping cart filled with stolen merchandise. She provided a description of the suspect and the direction he was traveling.
The trooper soon located a man matching the description on Paines Avenue pushing a cart containing the suspected stolen items.
Authorities said the trooper attempted to stop and speak with the suspect while still seated in his patrol vehicle. During the encounter, the suspect allegedly struck the trooper several times through the open window of the patrol car. The trooper suffered minor injuries during the altercation but did not require medical treatment.
The trooper drew his service weapon, and the suspect ran from the scene on foot. A chase followed, during which the suspect jumped into a ravine before continuing to flee.
Additional Atlanta police officers responded and located the suspect nearby. The trooper then took the man into custody and transported him to the Fulton County Jail, where felony warrants were obtained.
The Atlanta Police Department is handling the theft and assault allegations involving the store's security guards. Authorities also said the suspect had active warrants in Fulton County at the time of his arrest.
What's next:
The investigation remains ongoing.