A police chase in Chamblee ended Monday night with an armed robbery suspect being hit by a patrol car and arrested, authorities said.
Rodney Terrell Garvin, 24, is accused of robbing the CVS at 5764 Peachtree Boulevard and running away from police afterward, Chamblee police said in a news release.
Officer Sammy John chased Garvin on foot, while another officer, Sgt. Ed Lyons, drove behind the suspect, bumping him with his patrol car to end the chase, the release said.
Dash camera video provided by Chamblee police shows the impact, and Garvin appeared uninjured. He was arrested afterward, and a Glock .45 handgun, a ski mask and the stolen cash were found on him, the release said.
Chamblee Interim police Chief Mike Beller told AJC.com via email that he stands behind his officer's actions 100 percent, and "the use of force was clearly reasonable based on the imminent threat."
In the release, Beller said there was a brief investigation into the use of force, which has since concluded. He also said no officers were injured during the incident.
In June, an Athens police officer was fired amid controversy after video showed Taylor Saulters hitting a fleeing suspect with his patrol car.
After an investigation by the GBI and Georgia State Patrol, the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia cleared Saulters of any wrongdoing, saying his use of force was “reasonable.”
RELATED: Ex-Athens officer used 'reasonable' force when he hit suspect with car, PAC says
Ex-Athens police Chief Scott Freeman defended his decision to fire Saulters, but Freeman resigned after being asked to by County Manager Blaine Williams in September. Williams denied to AJC.com at the time that the Saulters investigation was the reason Freeman was asked to resign, saying it was instead because of an "erosion in confidence" with the chief.
MORE: 'An erosion in confidence': Athens police chief asked to resign
While Beller said he doesn’t have all the facts on the Athens case and doesn’t want to weigh in on it, he said this incident in Chamblee is different because of the “imminent threat that existed.”
Garvin faces charges of armed robbery, obstruction of an officer and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime, according to DeKalb County Jail records.
He remains in the DeKalb County jail without bond, records show.
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