A man accused of crashing into a MARTA police officer on a motorcycle fought with neighbors and responding officers following the crash on Friday, Atlanta police said.

John Waid, 52, is accused of running a stop sign and hitting off-duty MARTA police officer Emanuel Sabir, 48, who was on his motorcycle assisting with a funeral processional on Fairburn Road in northwest Atlanta, Officer Stephanie Brown said.

“As the funeral procession passed Thompson Drive, a van pulled off (and) onto Fairburn Road and struck the officer causing him to be thrown from the motorcycle,” Brown said.

Sabir was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital with serious injuries and is in stable condition.

Police said Waid got out of his van and got into fights with residents in the area and responding officers before he was taken into custody, Brown said.

Waid taken to the Atlanta City Detention Center on charges of having an open container of alcohol in his car, failing to stop at a stop sign and interrupting a funeral procession, Atlanta police Officer Stephanie Brown said.

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People join a rally in support for U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention employees on Tuesday afternoon, April 1, 2025, at the Atlanta headquarters after federal cuts triggered significant layoffs. (Photo: Jenni Girtman for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

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