Police in Clayton County, Georgia, were still searching on Thursday for a driver accused of dragging a police officer with a vehicle during a traffic stop in Riverdale on Wednesday afternoon and then fleeing the scene, according to the Clayton County Police Department.

Source: Focal News Atlanta

The incident happened at about 2:15 p.m. on Wednesday, October 21, near Garden Walk Boulevard and Medical Center Drive, close to Charles R. Drew High School. Police Chief Kevin Roberts said the driver suddenly sped away while the officer was at the vehicle, dragging the officer before fleeing.

Clayton County Fire and Emergency Services responded to the scene. The officer was taken to hospital with head and body injuries described as minor — WSB-TV Channel 2 reported the officer was transported to Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta — and was later discharged and described as doing well. The officer's name has not been released.

Investigators have recovered the vehicle, but the driver remained at large. Officers also searched an area around Hidden Brook Trail and Cedar Hurst Trail in south Fulton County in connection with the incident. Police have not released a description of the driver or details of any charges.

Source: Dispatch Times

The police response temporarily closed a road near the school, according to Clayton County Public Schools. Officials said no pupils or staff were involved and the campus was not placed under lockdown.

Vince Champion of the International Brotherhood of Police Officers said vehicle stops are among the most hazardous duties officers perform, because they cannot know what is happening inside a car or what an occupant might do. “Traffic stops are one of the most dangerous things that law enforcement does — because a lot can go wrong,” he said.