BARNESVILLE, Ga. — Newly released bodycam footage from Barnesville Police Department shows the moments a Henry County fugitive hit and dragged a central Georgia police officer following a routine traffic stop.
Barnesville Police Sgt. Rainer made a routine traffic stop on Caleb Hoover Saturday night, they said, but once learning he had warrants for his arrest in metro Atlanta, the officer asked him to step out of the vehicle and tried to detain him.
In the bodycam footage obtained by 11Alive, the video shows the Hoover step out of his vehicle and put his hands behind his back. As Sgt. Rainer reaches for his handcuffs, Hoover proceeds to evade the officer's attempt at detaining him and jumps back in the car.
After what appears to be a brief struggle by Sgt. Rainer to try and remove Hoover from the vehicle, the officer is briefly dragged by the car as the tires loudly screech before he falls to the ground.
>>Watch the full body camera video
As Sgt. Rainer is dragged down to the pavement, he shouts, "(Expletive)! I'm good, go!" as he gets back up off the ground letting another officer know to pursue Hoover in his vehicle.
Barnesville PD said Hoover "jumped back in his car, dragging Sgt. Rainer a short distance causing minor injuries," according to a social media post.
Hoover's vehicle was later found abandoned on Turner Bridge Road in the city and was towed away. He was since arrested in Spalding County, according to a social media post made by Barnesville Police late Sunday night.
It is unknow what the warrant is for in Henry County.