GBI: Man strikes Cartersville officer with SUV during arrest

A man wanted for violating his probation struck an officer with his vehicle Friday while attempting to flee arrest in Cartersville, state officials said.

Officers tracked down Phillip Ross to Oxygen Station, a smoke shop along Main Street and just off I-75, at about 12:20 p.m., the GBI said. As officers approached the 49-year-old’s vehicle, the agency said Ross reversed out of a parking spot and began driving toward police.

One officer was struck and a second officer shot at Ross, according to the GBI.

The SUV caught on fire during the shooting, the GBI said, and the flames were extinguished by police. Ross was taken to a hospital with injuries not considered life-threatening.

The officer who was struck did not report any injuries, according to the state agency. No other officers were injured.

According to Bartow County Jail records, Ross is charged with aggravated assault and felony probation violation in a July incident. Authorities have not said if additional charges would come from Friday’s incident.

The case marked the 112th officer-involved shooting the GBI has been asked to investigate this year. Last year, the agency recorded 100 such incidents.