Clayton County Driver Held Nine Days After Officer Dragged at Riverdale Stop
A 59-year-old man was captured in a multi-agency effort after authorities said he sped off during a traffic stop, pulling an officer along with his vehicle.
By Fatima Saleh ·
Clayton County police took 59-year-old Christopher Harold Lovett into custody on Friday, October 30, ending a nine-day search that began when an officer was dragged by a vehicle during a traffic stop. The search involved the U.S. Marshals Service, the South Fulton Police Department, and the Clayton County Sheriff's Office, all of whom Clayton County police credited with helping locate Lovett.
The incident unfolded around 2:15 p.m. on Tuesday, October 21 near the corner of Garden Walk Boulevard and Medical Center Drive in Riverdale. According to investigators, an officer had pulled over a vehicle when the driver accelerated and fled, dragging the officer with the car. Emergency crews transported the officer to a hospital to treat injuries to the head and body that were not life-threatening. Officials said the officer was discharged shortly afterward and has been recovering at home.
Police impounded the suspect vehicle not long after the stop, but Lovett escaped the immediate area. Authorities then issued a bulletin describing him as dangerous. Clayton County Public Schools said emergency vehicles blocked roads near Charles R. Drew High School for a time but said the campus never went into lockdown and that no students or staff were involved. Clayton County police announced Lovett's arrest on Friday evening and stated that legal proceedings are underway. The exact spot where officers arrested Lovett has not been released. Authorities also have not identified the injured officer, the traffic violation that prompted the initial stop, or the specific charges Lovett faces.
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