An Atlanta Police Department officer was arrested Monday afternoon on charges of DUI, following too closely and hit-and-run/leaving the scene of an accident, the Georgia State Patrol said.
Sherrick Morrison was arrested in East Point after the incident that involved two other cars, according to the incident report.
“Officer Morrison has been relieved of duty and is at home with pay,” APD spokeswoman Elizabeth Espy said Friday.
Before the arrest outside Ruby Tuesday in the 3900 block of Camp Creek Parkway, Morrison allegedly struck a Dodge Charger on I-285 near Ga. 166, sending it into a Nissan Sentra, the GSP said.
After striking the Charger, Morrison drove away, and the drivers of the Charger and the Sentra pursued Morrison’s car, a Nissan Altima, and eventually blocked him in until the GSP arrived, according to the report.
The trooper said he could “immediately smell a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from his breath and person,” according to the report. When the trooper asked Morrison about the odor of alcohol, he said he “had not been drinking.”
According to the report, Morrison’s eyes were “blood shot and red and at times his speech was slurred.” Later, Morrison said he had “consumed only one drink downtown” before the crash.
Morrison said he “tried” but did not stop after the crash but “did not feel safe stopping on the highway,” the GSP said.
Morrison refused a field sobriety evaluation and a breath test and was then arrested, according to the report.
The APD internal investigation is being handled by the Office of Professional Standards, Espy said.
APD Chief Erika Shields “prioritizes officer accountability and professional behavior at all times,” Espy said. “She will take decisive action when necessary to hold employees to the highest standard.”
The driver of the Nissan Sentra requested medical attention for her 9-month-old niece who was in the back seat at the time of the crash, the GSP said.
