MEMPHIS, Tenn. – A 33-year-old Tennessee man accused of running over and seriously injuring an Atlanta-area police officer was arrested Thursday, authorities said.
The U.S. Marshals Service said Taurean McShan was arrested in Memphis. A news release says McShan tried to run away from officers and climbed on a rooftop before he was spotted and taken into custody.
No injuries were reported. McShan, of Memphis, is being held at the Shelby County jail as he awaits extradition. Online court records do not show if he has a lawyer who could comment for him.
Authorities from several states had been searching for McShan since he was charged with aggravated assault against an officer on Monday. Police said McShan had rented a truck in the Memphis area and struck Officer Levar Sims in Fairburn, an Atlanta suburb.
Sims had answered a call for backup from an officer on routine patrol outside a hotel and saw a sleeping man in a running truck, Deputy Fairburn Chief Anthony Bazydlo said. Both the first officer and Sims smelled marijuana and alcohol, he said.
According to news reports, surveillance video showed the man talking to officers outside the truck, then jumping in and driving away. Bazydlo said Sims was holding onto the truck but fell off at a speed bump and was run over.
The pickup truck was found a few miles from the hotel, just over the Fulton County line.
Sims suffered internal injuries and underwent surgery. He is expected to make a full recovery with time, Bazydlo has said.
The Marshals Service said the case was investigated by its Regional Fugitive Task Force and a gang unit made up of members of the Memphis Police Department and the Shelby County Sheriff's Office.
Fairburn police posted a statement on Facebook saying officials would begin the process of bringing McShan back to Georgia. They thanked the agencies that helped in the investigation and all those who expressed support for the injured officer.
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