On January 28, 2023, at 2:09 AM, an Atlanta Police officer’s patrol SUV was stolen during a traffic stop in Atlanta, GA.
While the officer was speaking with the driver on the traffic stop, a man entered the driver’s seat of the officer’s patrol SUV and fled at a high rate of speed. The officer tried stopping the suspect, but the suspect was gone in the wind. The officer immediately notified dispatch of the incident and the information was relayed to the Atlanta Police Department’s Air Unit.
The Air Unit quickly ascertained the location of the stolen patrol car and called out the direction of travel as officers on the ground followed at a safe distance. Shortly after taking the vehicle, the suspect lost control of the patrol car on train tracks and the vehicle overturned.
A train was approaching at the time and was seconds away from running into the patrol vehicle.
With the assistance of the Georgia State Patrol, officers acted quickly to remove the suspect from the vehicle just seconds before the oncoming train struck the patrol car.
The suspect was taken out of the SUV and the train collided with the patrol vehicle, crushing it.
The suspect was taken into custody and identified as Mickal Parker, 29.
Mickal was charged with theft by taking, fleeing and eluding, reckless driving, obstruction, and damage to city property.
