Suspect Steals Cruiser, Drags Officer during Escape

Atlanta Police have arrested a woman accused of stealing two cars within 12 hours – including a police car! Investigators say the car theft suspect dragged an officer as he tried to stop her from making her getaway in his patrol unit.

Police say the car theft suspect was shopping in a northwest Atlanta store before everything began. The stolen car was found in the store parking lot and police had her in the backseat of a patrol car when they say all of a sudden, she took off with the officer dangling from the side of the car.

“She didn’t look like no one that would do something like this,” explained witness Lakeiva Cook.

Atlanta Police made sure the woman was properly handcuffed and secured as they drove her to police headquarters Thursday afternoon. That’s after she’s accused of slipping out of handcuffs, then slipping through a patrol unit’s partition and driving off – dragging the officer who was trying to arrest her for stealing a car.

“We could really be selling this footage to like stupid TV or something,” said car theft victim Deanna Wilson.

This all began when the owner of a blue car reported it stolen. A friend noticed it in a shopping center parking lot. An officer arrived, arrested the suspect and placed her in the back seat of his patrol car as he talked to witnesses.

“Somebody yelled that she was pulling off in the car. He jumped through the driver’s side and tried to stop her,” said Cook.

Witnesses say the woman kept driving – dragging the officer through the parking lot before she hit an embankment.

“The officer flew off, rolled over. He hit a yellow pole and lied there for maybe 10 seconds or so,” said witness Ronnell Spraggins.

Officers arrested the suspect a couple of miles away after she was spotted with one handcuff on. The owner of the first car that was stolen says the car theft suspect has some nerve.

“For her to not only steal mine from the gas station, but to steal a police car too, yeah, that’s probably the case,” said Wilson.

The officer is doing okay – he has a few scrapes and bruises.

The woman faces a slew of charges including assaulting an officer, evading arrest and, of course, car theft.

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