DECATUR -- DeKalb County police on Monday arrested a man who allegedly fought with one of the department’s officers before kidnapping the policeman and driving off in his police cruiser.
Robert Williams, 33, was taken into custody following a 7-hour manhunt by DeKalb and Rockdale law enforcement officers. He was apprehended about 9:30 a.m. near Flat Bridge Road and Klondike Road.
Following his arrest, the man was taken to a metro Atlanta hospital for treatment. Police said he has been charged with kidnapping, armed robbery and aggravated assault.
Officer R. W. Jones, who has been with the DeKalb police department for 3 ½ years, was listed in stable condition at Atlanta Medical Center following the fight, Officer Dale Davis, a police spokesman said.
Police said the officer was attacked around 2 a.m. after stopping the man, who was walking in the area of Wesley Chapel and Snapfinger roads.
The two got into a struggle and the suspect took the officer’s gun, put him in the trunk of the patrol car and then took off, police said.
The officer was able to get out of the car’s trunk by pulling a release latch inside the car when it stopped in Rockdale County. There, another struggle took place, authorities said. The suspect fled on foot.
The officer radioed for help and members of a SWAT team began searching for the suspect. A helicopter was also used in the search.
The officer’s gun had not yet been recovered.
It was not immediately clear if the officer’s weapon has been recovered.
Resident Shawn Kenney said he saw the fight from the porch of his home but at that point did not know that one of the men was a police officer.
“I heard a gunshot (and) that’s what got my attention,” said Shawn Kenney. “Neither one of them said anything (but) you could hear them breathing, fighting and ... hitting each other.”