ATLANTA --
An Atlanta police officer who fell while chasing a suspect was in critical condition Monday.
Officer Dean Jackson responded to a fight involving a weapon call on Joseph E. Boone Boulevard just before midnight on Friday.
Jackson arrived at the scene with another officer and chased a man, but Jackson did not respond to radio calls, authorities said.
“A distress signal was sent out and after a while Officer Jackson was located,” said Officer Carlos Campos.
Officers said they found Jackson a short time later lying unconscious at the bottom of a six-feet deep ditch in front of a home. The excavated area was filled with water, construction materials and debris.
Police told Channel 2’s Ryan Young they found Jackson face down in waist deep water.
A woman who was nearby when Jackson fell told Channel 2’s Ryan Young it was extremely dark in front of the abandoned building where Jackson fell.
Jackson was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital, where he’s been visited by several fellow officers.
“The APD family is certainly reaching out. Our thoughts and prayers are with Officer Jackson and his family. We’re absolutely helping for the best,” said Campos.
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