South Fulton police are searching for suspects involved in what they call a vicious attack on an officer during a street racing gathering Saturday night, the same group officials say made their way into Atlanta to continue the illegal performances.
South Fulton officers received several 911 calls about people performing reckless stunt driving and doing doughnuts on Camp Creek Parkway near Campbellton Road. The individuals also were seen obstructing traffic, including a fire truck that was responding to a call, police said. The officer who was first to arrive attempted to clear the road but was surrounded by a crowd of spectators.
Videos posted to social media, which capture only 26 seconds of the interaction, show a crowd attacking the police vehicle after the officer inside drove a short distance with one person aboard the hood. The officer stops and the person gets off the hood as the crowd catches up and begins kicking the vehicle. A speed limit sign is thrown at its windshield before the officer speeds off.
The sign caused significant damage, the police department said in a Facebook post showing photos of the aftermath, including a large section of the windshield that was bashed in. The crowd also shot fireworks and green laser pointers at the officer, police said.
The officer was not seriously injured.
The incident is also under internal review, police said.
“After this incident, several of these criminals traveled into the city of Atlanta with the same reckless behavior,” police said. “Our officer utilized tremendous restraint during this volatile situation. These reckless stunts pose an imminent threat to public safety and puts everyone at risk. We will work diligently to bring these individuals to justice.”
Atlanta police confirmed 10 arrests were made, and they are working with South Fulton police to determine if any of the arrestees are connected with SFPD’s investigation.
The Atlanta arrests stemmed from drivers attempting to lay drag in areas such as the Downtown Connector at 17th Street and the intersection of Lenox and Peachtree roads, APD said. Ten vehicles were impounded, and the department expects more arrests.
“Street racing remains a priority to us, and we will not stop our efforts to eradicate these criminals from our streets,” Atlanta police said in a statement. “Our work is far from over ... We are proud of the efforts of our officers (Saturday) night as they continue to show that street racing will not be tolerated in the City of Atlanta.”
